Celestial Wing: A Love Story
by Drayga Bas
Summary: This is the story of a deep friendship that developes between a dangerously powerful girl and the boy who will stop at nothing to protect her. Currently going on HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

**Celestial Wing: A Love Story**

**Summary**: A ChadxOC Fanfic. A new girl has come to Karakura Town and she is gifted with powers of the likes that leave even the Soul Society's Soul Reapers dumbfounded. One day, our gentle giant Chad unknowingly catches the eye of this mysterious and beautiful girl called Izar Chaosi. After meeting and befriending her Chad already feels that this could possibly be the girl he has always dreamed about. However, once he let's word out of his new found companion his soul reaper friends tell him that his dream girl is actually a horrible nightmare of a being with powers that could destroy entire worlds if used in the wrong manner.

Torn between his growing friendship with Izar and his already cemented relationship with his soul reaper buds Chad finds himself in the ugly spot of being caught in the middle. He wants to stay loyal to his friends but a part of him doesn't believe the horror stories that he has been told about Izar. This is the story of a deep friendship between a dangerously powerful girl and the boy who will stop at nothing to protect her.

This story takes place throughout the entire Bleach series starting from when Chad first enters the series as one of Ichigo's friends all the way to the first part of the Huenco Mundo arc. It will finally end with my own original arc. So expect a series to come of this. This will be the first part centering around the early episodes going into the Seretei arc.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything dealing with the BLEACH series. All that belongs to Mr. Tite Kubo. The only things I own is my characters Izar, Cyrus, and Thoth and anything that's in their storylines. Those are mine. Everything else is Tite's.

********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter One: Celestial Wings and the Warrior Boy

Izar Chaosi, a girl on a mission. Her two best friends are missing and have been for quite some time. She has no idea where they are or what could have possibly happened to them. She has only three clues to where they could be: a city, a name, and their medallions that she had found in said city. With only these in her arsenal she soon arrives at the city by the name of Karakura town. Now she's looking for the person with the name that was also supplied to her, Kisuke Urahara. With no idea who this is or what he could have to do with her friends Izar is in a position where there was no time for doubts or questions. If she didn't find her friends soon somebody else will. That will spell disaster for everything in existence.

Izar had perched herself on the ledge of a tall building in the inner section of the city. She sat with her legs swinging off the side, hands clasped in her lap in a nonchalant, laid back fashion. A breeze that had been blowing on and off all day made her super long hair fly around her like a billowy curtain. Izar was extraordinarily beautiful to the point that her walking down the street would get her much attention. Too much attention for her taste. She was rather on the short side only standing a good five two in all. Her freckly skin was a pretty tawny russet mixture in color that seemed to match well with her long, thick, shaggily wavy hair that hung to her butt with untrimmed bangs that were constantly being shaken out of her face. Her facial features were angelic with her full, heart shaped face, wide eyes that were a beautiful shimmering, iridescent black, and full lips with freckles sprinkled across her nose. She had a curvy, petite body that was accentuated by her rather tomboyish outfit of a tight black T-shirt, baggy blue jeans that hung low on her shapely hips, and black sneakers. Her most astonishing feature was the one that was always hidden under her hair. Though her face was always hidden by her it her hair always covered the left side a little more than the other. This was somewhat purposely because under it was her signature mark. A mark that would spell her doom if the wrong people saw it.

The mark was that of a ten pointed star that covered her entire left eye and a good portion of her face. The star had a thick black outline that surrounded her eye, inside was the beautiful design of much tinier stars that were intertwined and interlaced by less bold black lines all over. To a person who didn't know better they would think it was a very strange tattoo for her to get. To those who did have a clue as to whom or what Izar was would instantly know they were in the presence of great power, the mark being the sole symbol of that.

Izar watched in thoughtful silence as people and cars moved under her in the streets below. The setting sun in the distance casting everything in a golden hue. She was intrigued by how carefree some of these people seemed to be. One group of girls in uniforms put serious emphasis on that fact as they walked by, laughing and giggling amongst themselves. Completely oblivious to the cruelties and hardships that life could throw at you in a minute. Watching those girls made Izar wonder if she could ever find happiness like that. The kind that made you not harp so much on time and how much you had left of it, not worrying about what tomorrow will bring and live in the here and now.

She was happy like this once upon a time. Back when she was naïve to things herself. Back when her friends were by her side, when they were a make shift family, living on their own and not caring about anything but each other. Those days were long gone now and thinking of those happy times made Izar more determined to get those days back. She lifted her hands from her lap and clenched them into fist. Quickly getting to her feet Izar said quietly to herself, "I'm gonna get you back guys. I promise." She looked off towards the sunset. The sun itself bringing up memories of what she had lost. She shared the feeling whenever she looked at the moon too. As strange as it sounds you'll soon see why Izar has these feelings. Turning away from the sun she looked back at the streets below. That was when _**he**_ caught her eye. Izar saw a young man walking down the street by himself. Unlike the other people that were carrying on about their day there was something about this young man that seemed to set him apart from everyone else. Not just because he stood so much taller than most of the other people he was passing, something about his presence made her eyes glue right to him. He was wearing a pair of large earphones upside down on his head. His dark brown, messy wavy hair hung in his rugged, manly face much like the same way hers did only his was nowhere near as long. His skin was a smooth chocolaty brown and his build was intimidating with broad, strong shoulders, and even from where she was watching him she could tell under that dark uniform he wore he had a hard, muscular body. Despite his hair hiding his eyes he wore a rather stoic, blank look on his face. Izar couldn't take her eyes off of him as he crossed the street towards the building she was standing on. Once he was on the sidewalk Izar saw a group of other boys emerge from out of the shadows of a nearby alleyway. They all started to follow him, the looks on their faces telling the story of malicious intent towards the young man.

In that moment Izar decided to follow the group to see how this scene would play out. She ran along the buildings edge until she came to another one. She jumped across the space between the two buildings effortlessly, as if she did this thing all the time. While she skipped from rooftop to rooftop she kept a steady eye on the group of boys and the boy who caught her attention. She wasn't sure of what she was going to do if the boys did decide to do something but she kept following them anyway. It was somewhere around a block later that one of the boys emerged from the pack, went towards the tall boy, and shoved him hard into another alleyway. Although the shove was strong the tall boy didn't fall or stumbled. He simply backed into the alley. Izar stopped on the rooftop that overlooked the alley. She saw the boy shove him again, this time into some trashcans. He fell, knocking them over, distributing garbage all over the place. That's when they all pounced on him. While one stood him to his feet and held his hands behind his back, the others took turns punching every inch of his body. Izar was at a lost of words. It wasn't because she had never witnessed such brutality before. In actuality she had seen worse. It was the fact that she knew the young man was standing there just taking the assault. She had evaluated the situation before her. He was much taller and better built than all of the boys. Even with their simultaneous attack she knew if he wanted to he could have taken all of those boys down easily.

Yet he didn't, he stood there and took every blow that the boys dealt to him. In the midst of her anger at what she was seeing Izar also knew she was feeling something of a sense of pride on the boy's behalf. Instead of using his obvious advantage to take out the delinquents he took everything without complaint. She didn't even hear cries of agony or pain from him. His face didn't even twist up in pain.

"He's taking it like a warrior." She thought out loud.

That was the only way she could describe what the boy was doing. He was being a warrior by not fighting back, as backwards as that sounded. Just when the beating he was taking seemed as though there was no end another boy had happened upon the scene. He was a tall, slender boy with spiky, bright orange hair. The moment he was in the alleyway he went into action. He had kicked the ring leader right in the back, sending him flying into the wall behind the warrior boy.

"What the…?" one of the boys cried out.

"Hey, if you wanna fight than try somebody who's gonna do something back." the orange haired boy challenged them, his voice oozing strength and determination. Reminiscent of one of Izar's missing comrades.

"Get him." Commanded one as they all charged at him.

At first the orange haired boy seemed to be out matched with the others getting in shot after shot on him. Then there was a quick turn around as he started to throw his adversaries around like rag dolls. Izar mentally started to cheer the boy on in his fight. Just as sudden as the whole spectacle started it was over. Bodies littered the ground in the alley along with the garbage. Exhausted the orange haired boy collapsed onto the ground. Izar saw the warrior boy approach the sprawled body of the carrot top boy. The duo exchanged words but she couldn't really hear what they were saying with them speaking so low. Her curiosity got the better of her. Izar went over to the edge of the roof that faced the street, away from the alley. Casually she stepped off the ledge with one foot and let the other follow. As if she hadn't just faced a six story drop Izar landed on her feet in a crouching position. When she straightened up she saw two little boys staring at her in amazement standing there.

'So much for being discreet.' She mentally scorned herself.

"Hiya," she said to them with a small nod.

"Hi, are you some kind of warrior girl?" asked one of them.

"Yeah, like the one in this manga?" the other one said showing her a book with the picture of a scantily dressed female heroine on the front brandishing a long sword.

"Um…no." she said slowly.

"Yes, you are. No regular person can jump off of a building and land on their feet without a scratch." the one little boy said eagerly.

"Here, could you sign this?" the other one handed her the book with a marker.

"Oh well, alright." Izar said a little stunned. Just what she needed, two little boys thinking she was a comic book character, "What do you want me to write?" she asked.

"Write your name and put 'to Kenji' under it." He instructed her.

"Put my name too. It's Jiro." Said the other eagerly.

Izar did as instructed and handed it back to the boy called Kenji.

"Thanks, and don't worry. We know how people like you often work in secret so we won't tell anybody." said Kenji.

"Yeah, your secret is safe with us." assured Jiro.

"Thanks, that's really appreciated. You two should hurry on now, shoo, shoo." She said waving them away.

They both waved to her one more time before prancing off.

"That was awkward." She said to herself.

She had turned around to make her way towards the alleyway when she collided into the back of someone really tall and had a body that felt like armor.

"Oh, I'm really sorry." She quickly apologized looking up.

It was _**him**_! The person she walked into was her warrior boy. He looked down at her with a stoic stare. Up close Izar got a better, more in depth look at his face. His features were chiseled and angular with mocha brown almond shaped eyes that stared out from under his bangs. He also had a large sensual mouth with full lips. He had a few scratches here and there from his altercation with those boys but that was all he had.

"It's okay." He told her in a deep, bass filled voice.

"Hey Chad, who you talking to?" said another voice.

Izar saw the carrot top boy peek his head around the warrior boy in front of him.

"Oh," he said when he saw her, "Hi there."

"Hey," Izar said a little uneasily, "Uh…er…I saw those guys following you. I thought they were going to do something to you. I wanted to see if you were okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied simply. "Thanks to my new friend here."

"Okay, just as long as you're not hurt." She said looking away from his face towards the ground, "Well, bye." She said turning on her heel and jogging off.

She ducked into a doorway before she looked back at the two boys who were now walking away. Her heart was hammering in her chest, her hands felt sweaty and clammy. Why did he have such an effect on her? That was as strange as things were becoming with her.

There was only one thing on Izar's mind at that moment. For once in a long, long time it wasn't about her missing friends or her mission to find them. They were actually the furthest things from her mind right now. All she could think about was her warrior boy's name. It was Chad. That and how she had to talk to him again. Only this time carry a conversation with him. Just that quick she had found another mission she would embark on. Find out more about this giant who never uses his strength in vain.

********************************************************************************************************************

Fun Fact: Since Chad is of Mexican descent and I read in an interview that Tite Kubo really likes the Spanish language I decided to name my character "Izar" which is a Spanish name meaning "Star". Cool considering she has a star mark on her eye, huh?

That's the first chapter of my first fanfic. I think this starts things off a little slow, but I didn't want to rush into things either. The next couple of chapters you'll get to see Izar in action. Yes the girl kicks major ass. You'll also get to know a little more of her back story and stuff, too. So hang in there.


	2. Chapter 2

This Chapter is now going to be told from Chad's POV. It's going to be the first time him and Izar sit down and have a talk, but Ichigo's going to be there. So no personal one on ones in this chapter. There's plenty of time for that later. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **again I don't own anything that's in Bleach. All that belongs to Tite Kubo. The only things that are mine's are my characters Izar, Cyrus, and Thoth and anything dealing with their back story.

********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Two: First Talk

Yasutora Sado, or as his new friend Ichigo keeps calling him Chad, was again walking home on his own while listening to his earphone's that he always wore upside down on his head. These walks are sometime rather lonely and it sometimes helps him when he thinks of things while listening to his music. Today his mind couldn't seem to get away from the girl who he had met yesterday. She was all he seemed to think about since. He kept telling himself that it wasn't because she was beautiful beyond the meaning of the word. Though he knew that had something to do with it. There was just something so interestingly foreign and strange about her. From her overall manner to the peculiarly tomboyish way she chose to dress to her strange accent to her all around appearance.

He himself was an exotic commodity amongst the general population of Karakura town, so to see someone else who didn't quite fit the mold was a rarity. Even though he had seen her only for a moment Chad had a clear picture of the girl in his mind. Everything from her compact, curvy body, her long mane of black, shaggy wavy hair that hung in mostly the left side of her beautiful face, her colored skin that was a reddish-golden brown covered with freckles, and the big shimmering dark eye that he could see from under her hair that she wore in the old fashion "peek a boo" style. He walked on picturing her in his head as he came upon the grass covered slope that had the small river underneath, trickling under an overpass. With his mind on something else Chad didn't notice, feel, or hear the group of boys behind him at all. It was the same group of boys from yesterday back for another go at him. Knowing he wouldn't fight back. He didn't see as the ring leader had a huge rock hoisted high over his head ready to hit him from behind with it.

The boy, however, wouldn't be able to follow through on his evil intent as he was casually kicked aside by a Good Samaritan who happened to be around at the time. This was when Chad finally sensed something and turned around simultaneously taking his head phones off. What he saw of the situation was a boy lying on the ground cradling his head. Standing over him was her. Her long hair whipped around her as it caught the subtle breeze that wisped by. She had her back to him, standing between him and the group of delinquents.

"Anybody else wanna try and hurt him?" she growled at them, her hands in tight, clenched fists at her sides.

The boys exchanged looks at each other.

"Get that bitch." One of them shouted, all of them charging at her.

When the boy in front of the pack was within her reach she stuck out her foot, kicking him right in his face. She punched another, breaking his nose. Chad heard the bone snapping from where he was standing. Chad threw his earphones and backpack to the ground. Just before the girl could go to drive an elbow into one boy's gut he had grabbed her pulled her into the crook of his arm as he drove his massive fist into the his face. Sending the boy skidding across the ground until he stopped a few yards away knocked out. Still holding her in one arm Chad grabbed another boy by his shirt collar, flipped him over his head, and slammed him onto the ground hard.

"Want some help?" he heard a familiar voice call out.

He turned around in time to see Ichigo deliver a flying kick right to one guy's temple. Single handedly Ichigo took out the remainder of the squad.

"Don't let me catch you guys messing with him again, you understand, or you're dead next time!!" he shouted after the retreating boys. Some left on their own; others were carrying fallen comrades with them.

Ichigo then turned around to cast his stern, ever scowling expression on Chad. To somebody who didn't know Ichigo they would think he was just a mean person from that stare but those who did knew that this was just how Ichigo normally looked. He couldn't help it really.

"Saw you fought back today Chad. How come you didn't do that yesterday?" he said demandingly, then Chad followed Ichigo's stare as it went to his arm that was still wrapped around the girl's waist. "So that was your motivation, huh?"

Chad quickly took his hand from around her waist. Although on the outside he seemed unfazed by the minor contact his blood was heating up his face at it.

"She was protecting me, but I didn't want a girl fighting a bunch of boys on her own." He had explained simply, trying to avoid looking at the girl's face.

"You're that girl from yesterday. The one who bumped into us." Ichigo said studying the girl.

"Yeah, so?" she responded rather smugly.

Ichigo came over to her until he was looking down at her, right in the eye, "How come you keep showing up whenever those guys try to give Chad here a hard time?"

"How come you do?" she shot back at him.

"I just happen to be around." Ichigo answered not missing a beat.

"Well, so do I." she said back crossing her arms over her chest.

Having a feeling that this would take awhile Chad gathered up his things and took a seat in a nice patch of grass on the slope nearby.

"There's no way. There's no such thing as that good of timing." Ichigo continued.

"I could say the same for you." The girl responded. She spoke again before Ichigo could get another word out, "Look, I'm not going to continue this with you." She said dismissively, "Why does it matter who keeps popping up where? As long as somebody's got this buy's back it shouldn't matter, right?" she finished raising her eyebrows at him.

"Yeah well…" Ichigo stammered.

Just then the girl turned from Ichigo to stare at Chad. He felt his heart jolt a little at her looking at him.

"Why is it that those guys keep bothering you?" she asked kindly, coming over to sit in front of him.

She pulled her knees up her chin and rested her head on them. Ichigo came and sat next to Chad, "It's because he doesn't stick up for himself. Instead of fighting back he just stands there and takes it. They must think he's a coward."

"Thank you but I'd prefer if he answered me when I address him, not you." She told Ichigo sort of snidely. "Also, I don't think he's a coward for not fighting back. Actually I find it sorta noble, you know, warrior like." She said giving Chad a big warm smile. One that could have melted an iceberg.

Chad felt his face heat up again at her smiling at him. This was definitely something he wasn't used to doing. Though he was naturally a caring, thoughtful person Chad still held something of a detachment from society. Certain feelings and emotions he had yet to feel or express. This girl was stirring up a lot of new things within him. Things he wasn't so sure if he liked or not.

"Hey, what's your name anyway? I didn't get it yet. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki." He introduced himself.

"You are?" she asked staring at Chad.

"Yasutora Sado, but Ichigo here calls me Chad." He replied, sounding rather cool and stoic but he wasn't really feeling that at all.

"My name's Izar Chaosi." She introduced proudly with a big a smile.

"Izar Chaosi? That's a weird name." Ichigo stated with a snort, "Your accent's kinda foreign sounding, too. Where are you from? It's surely not from around here."

At Ichigo's prying Izar had became quiet. Her proud disposition disappearing for the moment. The eye he could see peeking from under her hair took on a glazed, far away look to it. Like for a moment she was deep inside her mind thinking about something else. For a minute Chad thought Ichigo had unknowingly said something wrong.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

Izar slightly shook her head, coming out of whatever trance she had been induced to.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said plastering on another smile, "I'm sorry I conked out there for a minute. You asked me where I was from, right."

"Yeah, I did." Ichigo said slowly, giving away to how weird he was starting to think the girl was.

"Actually, I'm from a place far, far away. So far in fact that you probably would never know what I'm talking about even if I told you. Let's leave it at that." she said simply, indicating that a straightforward answer was out of the question.

"Whatever," Ichigo said after a moment.

Ichigo may have accepted Izar's answer but Chad couldn't help wanting to know more about her.

"If you won't tell us the name, can you tell us what the place is like." He asked her.

Izar seemed taken aback at what he had said. She looked as if she didn't know how to respond to his question.

"Um…it's really bright there." She started off slowly, taking her time with it. Her face wore the expression of a person who wasn't lying but he could tell she was clearly holding stuff back. "It's very small, and really secluded. As matter of fact only me, my two best friends, and a handful of other people had lived there."

"Yeesh. I thought this place was small." Ichigo said.

"What about you two? Are you both from around here?" she asked stretching her legs out and laying back so she was propped up on her elbows.

"I am." Ichigo replied simply laying down on his back, putting his hands behind his head.

"I'm not. I'm originally from a small town in Mexico where I used to stay with mi Abuelo." Chad had explained.

"Abu…what?" Ichigo asked casting a look into Chad's direction.

"My grandfather. His name was Oscar de le Rosa. I left shortly after he had died." Chad's hand subconsciously went up to grasp the Spanish gold coin that he wore around his neck at all times. Abuelo had given this to him when he was young and it was his most treasured possession.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Did he give that coin that you're holding on to?" Izar had asked, pointing to her neck for emphasis.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask what that thing was." Ichigo had said, "I noticed you always wear it."

"Yes, Abuelo gave it to me." He said softly.

"It must be a very valued possession of yours." Izar had said sympathetically.

Chad only nodded casting a sideways glance at her. He saw her shift her weight onto one elbow as she fished something out of her front pocket on her baggy jeans. When she brought her hand out she was holding something with a lot of thin chains hanging over her hand. She crawled over to him, taking a spot right beside him. She was so close parts of her body brushed against his arm. Chad tried to stay cool and collected like he normally does but it was hard with her so close like that. He then felt Ichigo come in close to his other side too, trying to see what Izar wanted to show them. This helped balance out Chad some with Ichigo's mug on his other side.

Izar had in her hands were three necklaces. One had a black chain, the other dark purple, like the color of the sky at night, and the other a bright gold chain. All three had four wings on them. The gold chain held four sun gold wings streaked with tiny stripes of intense orange and fiery red on it. The black chain had four black wings streaked with dark purple stripes and speckled with diamonds that looked like stars lighting up the night sky. The purple chain held silvery white wings with the tips of the feathers dipped in jet black.

"Those things are amazing." Ichigo gasped.

"The one with black wings and the diamonds is mine's. Those are called the celestial wings. The gold one is called the solar wings, and the silver is the lunar wings. Those belonged to my friends." She explained. "I lost my friends, too. They're missing. That's why I treasure these medallions. I think if I hold onto them they might lead me to them."

"Sorry to hear that." Ichigo said kindheartedly. "I hope they're found safe and sound."

"I hope so too." Chad said compassionately.

"Thank you." Izar said softly as she put the necklaces back in her pockets.

Ichigo got to his feet, stretching out his body, "I best be getting home. It's getting late."

Chad got to his feet also seeing what Ichigo was saying. The sun was peeking over the horizon now as it was setting. Before Izar could get to her feet Chad had already extended a hand out to her. She looked up him shyly, then took his hand letting him pull her up.

"Hey, which way do you two live? We can walk together." Ichigo had offered.

"No thanks. I'll be fine walking on my own. Besides I don't think I live your way." Izar said.

"We could still walk you." Chad offered.

He was actually reluctant to let the girl slip away from him this time. He had spent the last twenty four hours thinking about her and this time spent with her wasn't nearly enough for him.

"No, I'm fine Chad, really. Don't waste any chivalry on me guys. I can handle myself. You two go on." She said waving the off.

"Alright, if that's what suits you. Later Izar." Ichigo said walking away.

Chad gave Izar one more look before following his orange haired friend. While they were walking away Chad kept catching quick glances over his shoulder at her. All the times he looked back he saw Izar crouched down, peering off in some random direction. The same glazed far away look in her visible eye.

"Ask her out." He heard Ichigo say.

"Huh?" Chad looked at him.

"You keep staring at her and anybody can see you're clearly interested. Just ask her out the next time you see her. No big deal. Though I have to say she's cute but a find her a little bit strange."

"I don't think she's strange." Chad answered.

"That's because you like her." Ichigo teased.

Chad didn't respond. He instead just looked at the ground, not meeting Ichigo's teasing glare. The twosome walked the rest of the way home in silence.

********************************************************************************************************************

I hope it wasn't too bad. The good stuff's about to come really soon I promise. Just bear with me. Another thing, I think I might be making Ichigo a little bit OOC. I'm not sure, I'm not a real die hard Ichigo fan like that. So tell me if I am.


	3. Chapter 3

We're back to Izar's POV. This chapter starts off with a flashback. I'm telling you this in case you get confused about what's going on. Once out of the flashback we go into the present which is taking place when Chad was again jumped by those guys, but only that time they had tied him up and took his coin. Yeah. Here's Chapter three. Enjoy!

********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Three: Star Marked Left Eye

"Cellie? Cellie? Wake up lazy girl." She heard the voice say, cutting through her sleepy fog.

She opened her eyes to see a blurry face hovering over hers. She rubbed her eyes for a minute to get the morning gunk out so her vision wasn't so blurry when she opened them again. Staring down at her was the face of a handsome boy who was older than her by two years. His wild hair spiked up all over his head making him look like a cute golden porcupine. His sky blue eyes stared at her with nothing but love and adoration.

"Get up Cellie. It's a new day of chores, chores, and more chores. So up and at 'em, Scrappy." He said brightly.

At the mention of her nickname that the guys had given her she felt a smile cross her lips. Cellie sat up quickly in her bed. This caused her to clunk with one of her best friends.

"Ow!" they both cried out but giggled rubbing the spot where their heads collided.

"Solar Wing that really hurt." Cellie laughed.

"Are you kidding me? You have a rock for a skull." He teased her.

"Up yours." Cellie giggled, playfully punching him in the arm.

"Get ready for breakfast." Solar Wing told her ruffling her hair.

Cellie got out of the bed and went to get herself ready. When she came downstairs she was fully dressed, her long hair still wet from her morning washing. In the kitchen she smiled as she saw the two most important people in her entire life sitting at the table. Both were young men who were a tad older than her. Solar Wing was her fiery blonde friend who was tall and slender built who had the mark of the sun on his left eye, like her eye born the star. Just like her mark his was a thick black outline around his eye in the shape of the sun with tiny suns connected by thinner black lacing lines. Her other friend was Lunar Wing, the more quiet and calmer one out of the trio. Where Solar Wing was fiery with a temper to match and Celestial Wing, or Cellie as the guys prefer to call her, was as vibrant and bright as the next person with a scrappy nature, Lunar Wing was more cool and collected, very rarely did he openly show emotions outside of a minor scowl for anger or a small smile to show happiness.

Lunar Wing was the oldest and the tallest out of the trio. In contrast to Solar Wing's fiery streaked blonde hair, and Cellie's long mane of shaggy black waves, Lunar Wing's hair was shoulder length in layers of silvery white. While Solar Wing's skin was tinted orange and Cellie's was a beautiful reddish-golden brown mix, his was absolutely pale white like the moon when it's full. Solar Wing had bright sky blue eyes, Cellie had dark eyes that looked like they had stars in them from how they shimmered all the time, Lunar Wing's eyes were silvery gray. The only thing that he had in common with his friends was the mark he too bore on his left eye. Only instead of a sun or star, he had a crescent shaped moon that circled his eye in same design as his comrades with the bold outline and the smaller interlacing design's in the middle. The other similarity is the fact that all of them wore their bangs long and primarily covering the left side of their faces to obscure their marks from those around them.

"Morning Cellie," Lunar Wing greeted coolly, giving her one of his small smiles.

"Hello," she said brightly giving him a small peck on the cheek.

She sat in between her friends in front of her plate that was already put out for her.

"So Cellie, have you decided on a name for when we cross over into the next dimension? I've decided I'm going to be called Cyrus. It's a name that means 'sun' in one of the dimensions languages." Solar Wing said brightly as he poured her something to drink.

"I've decide to be called Izar, it means 'star' of course." Cellie said rolling her eyes with a smile. She turned to look at Lunar Wing, "What about you?"

Lunar Wing was silent for a moment. He was finishing off the contents on his plate and dabbed at his mouth with a napkin before answering. Just like him, always a perfect gentleman in everything that he did.

"I've became very fond of the name Thoth." He replied stoically.

"Thoth? That's peculiar. That's the name of one of those beings that they used to worship by the people. What do you want to be worshipped or something?" Cellie said playfully.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with one wanting to be praised for the gifts one possesses, now is there?" Lunar Wing replied rather seriously.

_I should have known something was wrong then. Why didn't I see it?_

"What are you talking about Lunar Wing?" Solar Wing asked stiffly, "We're going to that dimension to hide out and never use our powers again. So what gifts would they worship you for?" he added more demandingly.

As close as the two boys were they did share a very strong love/hate relationship with each other. There were many times when the two had harsh exchanging of words. Just as many times when the two of them came blows with each other. This was something Cellie didn't want to see happen anymore. Especially since there was nothing to really argue about anymore. They had gotten away from their evil captures that had created them and only wanted to exploit them for their extraordinary powers. They weren't on the run, being hunted mercilessly, scavenging for food and shelter, worrying about what horrors tomorrow was going to bring for them. These were things that the two were always going at it about. While Solar Wing had always wanted to take drastic action to deal with their situations. Lunar Wing wanted to do things safe and subtle. Whereas Cellie was always caught in between her best friends.

They were safe now though. They haven't seen hide or hair of any of their enemies in months. They had a nice place to stay, food to eat, water to bathe in. What could they possibly find to argue about now?

"My charisma and good looks." Lunar Wing replied with a smile that was very unlike him. There was something sneaky and sarcastic about that smile. Two things Lunar Wing never was. He was the calm one, the one who kept a cool head when she and Solar Wing were wrecks, the one that always took a leader like role, and guided them through everything. What was this sudden change she was seeing in her friend?

Solar Wing sprang to his feet fast, knocking over his seat in the process, "You better not do anything to mess up our new lives, understood?! We've worked too hard and come too far for you to go screw things up!" he shouted angrily at Lunar Wing across the table.

As he spoke a bright, fiery colored aura surrounded his entire body, making him appear to be a living fireball. The area around him got increasingly hot and heavy. This always happened when he got angry or upset. It wasn't a metaphor or anything when they said he had a fiery temper. Whilst Solar Wing was literally fuming on the other side of the room, Lunar Wing sat in his corner quietly, unfazed by the verbal attack that his friend had unleashed on him. He calmly took a sip from his mug and continued to stare blankly at Solar Wing. He knew that this reaction really pissed him off.

"You're an asshole Lunar Wing, you always were!" he spat at him.

Solar Wing left from the table, picking up his plate and angrily putting it in the sink. His aura was still shining brightly and hotly as he stomped out of the room. Cellie looked at the ground where Solar Wing was standing to see scorch marks there. He really had been hot. There was no pun intended. Cellie then realized she was holding her breath as she exhaled deeply.

"Something wrong Cellie?" she heard Lunar Wing ask, his tone filled with concern.

She looked at him to see he was genuinely worried now.

"I just don't want ya'll arguing anymore. Before you two argued out of fear and concern for us and deciding what was the best way for us to stay alive. Now we don't have to argue and you two are still going at it." she said shakily.

"If you're that upset then I won't tease him anymore, but you do understand what a hot head he is." He said evenly taking another sip from his mug.

"I'm finished, want me to take your plate?" she said rising out of her chair.

"Don't worry I'll get it." Lunar Wing brushed her off.

"Alright," Cellie said softly, "I'll just get started on my chores then." She said making her way out of the room.

When she was at the door Lunar Wing had called her name. She turned around to face him, "Yeah?"

"You do realize I was just playing with him?" he said studying her face intently. Cellie felt as though he was trying to read her at this point. Like he was hoping to see a certain reaction from her. 'What was with him today?' she thought, 'Or is it just me?'

_No it wasn't. You were right to think he changed. He was changing the whole time. _

"Yeah, I know you were only teasing." She said plastering on a smile.

Lunar Wing simply nodded and returned her smile. As she walked away she thought, 'Why didn't I believe him? Why do I actually share in Solar Wing's anger at what he seemed to be hinting at?'

_Because Solar Wing was right to think he meant it. You were just too stupid and naïve to see for yourself. Now you lost him, you lost them both._

Present Day

Izar jolted herself out of her dream. She was sitting on the bridge that overlooked the river and the grassy slope that she had talked to Chad and Ichigo on. After they had left she had spent her night here on this bridge and right now she was taking a long awaited slumber. She couldn't remember the last time she had really slept or the last time she had ate anything. Her stomach was growling like an animal and her head felt like it was going to explode. She had only been here a week and already she felt like she was withering away. If she kept this up she actually would, then she could never have any hopes to find Cyrus and Thoth.

Suddenly the sound of voices under the bridge alerted Izar. The only reason that she cared about the voices was because there was one she recognized beyond a shadow of a doubt. It was Chad's. Shakily getting to her feet Izar peeked over the edge of the bridge until she was almost hanging off of it. She saw the upside down picture of Chad tied up in a chair with the same group of troublemaking boys surrounding him. What was their deal? What caught her attention even more was that the ring leader dangling something in front of Chad's face. At the sight of the object Chad's usually cool and calm face became twisted up in anger as did hers. It was the coin that his grandfather gave to him.

She let go of her hold on the ledge and let herself fall towards the ground. Previous to hitting the ground Izar jolted her body quickly so landed on her feet. She straightened up to see all the boys eyes were on her. She didn't care about the other boys. Her eyes were glued onto the boy still holding Chad's coin in his hand. In a flash she closed the area between him and her, cutting through crowd like a hot knife through butter. She pounced on him, both of them falling to the ground in a heap. Wasting no time she unleashed a flurry of punches to his face, just pounding away at him.

"You are the biggest jackass on the planet." She growled at him, hitting him on every syllable that she had said.

"Don't just stand there!" the boy yelled, holding his hands in the front of his face to shield himself from her blows, "Get her off of me!" he cried.

In seconds Izar felt something hard smash into the side of her face. Then she felt a number of hands wrap around her arms and yank her backwards onto the ground. Once on the ground she was pinned down by them. Izar felt her hair fall back from her face, leaving it completely exposed.

"Check out the tat on her eye." One boy sneered.

She was getting angrier by the moment now. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she felt her blood boiling in her veins. That's when her left eye started tingling. She knew what was about to happen and if she wasn't released and calmed down soon disaster was going to strike. She struggled hard against her captives, kicking out her legs, squirming her body, flailing her arms. In the midst of her flailing she managed to grip one of the boy's collar and twisted it in her hand as to choke him.

"She's pretty freaking strong." He croaked.

"Just keep holding on, you wuss." growled another one.

During all of this she managed to cast a glance into the direction of Chad who was still tied in the chair. From his expression she knew he was absolutely in awe at what was going in on with her. His look had cemented what she had guessed. The tingling on her left eye meant that her mark was glowing in a white hot menacing way.

"Hey, what's with your tattoo?" said another boy stupidly.

Izar started to sit up, feeling a quick burst of power erupt in her body, despite the boys' feeble attempts to keep her on the ground. She stared right at the leader, who was standing a few feet away, blood trickling from his mouth and nose. Just as she was readying herself to yell a loud war cry she saw the boy fly sideways as Ichigo threw himself against him. In an instant Izar felt her eye stop tingling and the sudden surge of power that she got completely evaporated. Still she had her original strength that she used to free one arm since the boys were distracted. With that arm free she punched out the guys holding her other arm. Then she kicked her legs free. While Ichigo came over and dealt wit those boys Izar again set her sights on the boy that still had Chad's coin. She hopped on him again, both of them rolling across the ground. When they stopped rolling Izar made sure she was on top of him. Rearing back her fist far she drove it as fast and hard as she could right into his jaw. That was the blow that done him in.

Izar got off of him and wrenched the coin out of his limp hand. She walked back towards the underpass where she saw Ichigo laying on the ground in front of Chad who was still tied up. Their mouths were moving but she didn't know what they were saying. The two boys stopped talking and looked at her when she approached them. Izar felt like utter crap now. Her head and stomach were aching badly and she was so tired she felt on the verge of collapse.

"Here Chad." She said so softly and tiredly she was sure he didn't hear her.

Like the words she just spoke took her last amount of energy Izar fell onto her knees in a pile. She could barely keep her eyes open now.

"Are you okay?" she heard Ichigo's voice ask.

"Yeah, just haven't eaten any today. Or the past three days for that matter." she replied with a weak smile.

"What?! You haven't eaten in three days?" Ichigo cried outraged.

"Or slept." Izar added as she fell over onto her side, her hair falling away from her face leaving her out in the open yet again.

The last thing she remembered before everything went completely black was hearing Ichigo said to Chad, "You see that mark on her eye, Chad? What could that be?"

********************************************************************************************************************

I know it was pretty long but tell me how you like where the story is going. Keep reading to see what happens next.


	4. Chapter 4

Chad's POV. This chapter everything about Izar is finally revealed straight from the horse's mouth. You guys also get read that intimate one on one between Chad and Izar. Yes, the sparks are gonna fly folks.

**Disclaimer: **Again I own nothing that is Bleach related. All that is Tite Kubo's. Anything related to Izar and her story is my stuff. Everything else isn't.

********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Four: Alone

Chad stood back a little as Ichigo opened the door to his apartment for him. He had his hands full as he was carrying the body of Izar in his arms. The entire walk here Chad couldn't get what he saw out of his mind. The way Izar viciously fought that boy in order to retrieve his coin back, how she had managed to sit herself up even with all those boys holding her down, and definitely the way the tattoo around her eye started glowing the way it did. Chad knew that the tattoo definitely had something to do with the way Izar performed today. He was certain of it. When he wasn't thinking about her mark he kept stealing glances at it as he carried her here.

Chad knew Ichigo was too but he tried to hide his curiosity. Chad set Izar on the couch while Ichigo shut the door. Once she was on the couch the two of them sat on the table in front of the couch and just stared at her. Chad stared at her chest as it heaved up and down slowly as she breathed. She was sleeping so soundly, she looked so innocent and beautiful. She was possibly the most beautiful thing he ever seen in his life. He had forgotten about the mark on her eye and became curious about the girl herself. What was her story? Who was she? Where did she come from? What was she? What was her past, her present, and what was in store for her future? He suddenly wanted to know everything about her.

"So what are you going to do, Chad?" Ichigo asked him quietly so he wouldn't disturb her.

"I'm gonna wait for her to wake up. I'm gonna make sure she eats and gets clean. After that I'll see if she's staying with anyone who I can call and tell them where she is." he explained.

"You sure about this Chad?" Ichigo said scratching his head thoughtfully, "I mean I know she looks harmless but there's no telling these days what people intentions are."

"I think her intention was to not let it slip yesterday that she was homeless and possibly living in the park." Chad said evenly.

"That would explain a lot. Especially how she keeps popping up whenever those guys bother you. If it's always near the park she's definitely on it."

They both became quiet again and stared at Izar's sleeping figure some more.

"I will say this," Ichigo said breaking the silence, "That's a wicked tattoo she has on her eye."

"Yeah, it is." Chad said absentmindedly. He was still transfixed on her, not her mark.

"I'm leaving now." Ichigo said getting to his feet. "I'll see you in the morning. Tell me what happens alright." With that he crossed the room and left out the door.

Chad still sat on the table staring at her. Slowly and trying not to make too much noise he slowly went over to kneel beside Izar. Her hair completely obscuring her face. Chad reached out his hand and trying not to touch her too much to wake her he brushed the hair from her face. Chad let out a small gasp.

'She's so gorgeous.' he thought.

That's when he got a look at the star mark around her eye. The mark was as beautiful as her in its design and features. He had never seen nothing like it. He had never seen anyone like her in actuality. Finally finished indulging his curiosity for the moment Chad stood up and got to work doing what he normally did. First he went into the kitchen and cooked something for dinner, making extra portions on Izar's behalf. Then he went into his room and started on his homework, putting on his headphones because he liked listening to music as he worked. Some time later took off his earphones and went into the kitchen. Sitting there at table with a plate already piled high was Izar, awoke and alert.

The two of them stared at each other for a moment in silence. Both were trying to feel the other out. Seeing who would do what first. Chad noticed that Izar had pulled her hair back and tied it up in a knot on her neck. He guessed she figured he already saw the mark and wasn't going to kill herself trying to cover it up anymore. Finally Chad's growling stomach got the better of him. He walked over to make himself a plate, then came and sat across from Izar at the table.

"This is really good." she said brightly to him. "You're a great cook."

Chad looked up at her to see was staring at him with a small smile on her lips, "Thank you. You're too kind." he said casually.

"No really, I'm serious." she insisted, "I haven't eaten in three days and although I would have still eaten it I would have told you if your cooking was crap."

Chad let out a soft chuckle at what she said. He let it fall silent between them for another moment as both of them ate. Although he made a mental note not to stare at his good looking companion during her stay he knew that her eyes definitely weren't as shy as his. He felt her intense gaze on him the entire time he ate. It was almost like her star marked left eye made the stare more intense. Chad stood to his feet when he was finished his plate.

"Are you finished?" he asked looking at Izar at last.

She nodded brightly and handed him her spotless plate. He quickly washed the tiny bit of dishes he had made in the sink.

"Do you have family or somebody you're staying with so I can tell them where you are?" he had asked lightly.

"Hmm?" Izar said confusedly.

Chad turned from the sink to face her, "It's getting pretty late. I was asking if you were staying with anybody who would probably be worried about you. If so I would like to call them and tell them that you're here and that you're safe."

Izar's bright expression she had earlier had quickly dissolved at Chad's question. Her eyes went downward towards the table.

"Honestly, I don't stay with anybody." she said softly.

"So you live by yourself?" Chad kept pressing, pretty much knowing where this was going. He was just waiting for Izar to take it there.

"Technically, yeah. The thing is I don't live anywhere. I've been outside since I arrived a week ago. I had lived with my friends, the ones that are missing, but I left our home to find them. So I'm really on my own now." She admitted with a small, sad smile.

"I figured that much." Chad admitted trying not to let on how heartbreaking her sadness was for him. A girl like her needed to smile all the time.

"Huh? Really?" she asked with an amused smirk.

"I may appear to be a big, dumb oaf but I'm rather observant and intelligent." Chad told her somewhat proudly.

"I would never think you were some big, dumb oaf. Anybody who would are the actual dumb ones." she replied strongly.

Chad had to admit he was greatly touched by what she had said. It was the same way he felt when Ichigo had understood why he chose not to stick up for himself and instead of teasing or mocking him had made a promise to fight for and with Chad always. Both Izar and Ichigo were something of complete strangers to him but they had already developed such strong feelings towards him. It was great feeling.

"Well, you can stay here for as long as you like. I live by myself and you shouldn't think your company is minded because it's not." He assured her, adding a smile for her benefit.

"Thank you, that's very sweet of you." she smiled brightly again.

"It's the least I can do considering how you fought for my coin for me the way you did today."

"Oh that, it was nothing really. I knew how much it had meant and I knew I would want someone to do the same for me." Izar said bashfully.

"No, it wasn't nothing. It meant a lot that you did that for me. You barely know me and you went out of your way to get my coin back. I'm very grateful." he said his hand going to grip the coin hanging from his neck.

"Well, you're very welcome then, Chad." She said getting up from the table.

"Would you like to take a bath?" Chad had asked her sort of shyly.

The possibility of having a gorgeous girl naked in his house was something very new for him. Not saying he wasn't excited about the prospect. He was still a little nervous about the situation that was unfolding before him.

"Yeah, actually I would love nothing more. Going a week without bathing really isn't my thing." Izar giggled.

"I'll go fetch you a robe and get the water running. While you're in the bath I'll wash your clothes out for you." Chad had said.

He went to the bathroom and started running the hot water for her. Then he went to his closet and fetched a rag and a robe. He knew the robe would be too big for her because it was his but it was better than nothing. Or was it? Chad shook his head trying to get the naughty thought out of his mind. The last thing he wanted to do was something as risky and complicated as him ending up sleeping with Izar to happen. He found Izar sitting patiently in the living room on the couch. She smiled at him shyly when she saw him come into the room.

"Here, you can set your clothes outside the bathroom door. I'll get them and wash them up for you." He told her.

Izar nodded, taking the robe and rag out of his hand. She made her way to the bathroom. A few seconds later Chad saw the door slide open and Izar's hands came out as they set her bundled up pile of clothes outside the door. He scooped up her clothes, fished out some change from his pocket, then made his way down to the washroom of his apartment building. In the washroom he put Izar's clothing in the washing machine. Once they were finished washing he transferred them to the dryer. When they were finished in the dryer he took them out and folded her jeans and her shirt. Yet when he picked up her shirt something caught his attention as odd with it. He had turned it inside out and one of his fingers had gotten snagged in a rather large slit in the back.

Chad thought, 'A slit?'. He put his finger through the slit again. The slit was cut in the upper part of the back on the left side, just between where the shoulder blades would be. He noticed there was a similar slit next to it. 'Why would she have slits there?' he thought. That's when his strong curiosity about Izar came back tenfold. He had to know her story. He had to find out what was going on with this girl. Maybe he could help her somehow. He folded up the shirt, placed it at the top of the pile, and went back up to his apartment.

"Izar?" he called out.

There was no answer. He walked over to the bathroom to see from the crack underneath that the light was still on. Izar must have still been inside. Lightly he tapped on the door.

"Izar?" he called through the door. "I have your…"

Before he could finish his sentence the door swung open to show Izar standing right in front of him. Her hair fell behind her like a curtain and was still wet, glistening in the bathroom light, the robe hanging off of her shoulders as she clutched the front to keep it from completely falling off of her. She had it tied at the waist but the bottom half of the robe fell behind her like a cape exposing her beautiful, big, shapely legs. Chad had to quickly catch his breath at the sight before him. His heart beat had changed its rate, increasing and every second he felt himself struggling to breathe.

"Yes?" she asked simply, her dark eyes staring up at him, sparkling like the stars from the night sky outside resided in them.

"I…was saying I had your clothes ready for you." Chad had managed to say over the dry spot that was choking him at the base of his throat. Despite how screwy he was feeling on the inside he still had managed to sound cool and collected.

"Thanks again." she said warmly.

"Izar," he said, trying to get this out in the open before the sight of her completely wiped his mind clean.

"Huh?" she asked.

"Can you tell me what's really going on with you? Like your whole story, not holding anything back. I found two slits in your shirt I found pretty odd, not to mention what happened today with the mark you have on your eye. It's all very strange to me and I want to know since I'm volunteering to let you into my home. I need a heads up in case something serious is going on, don't you think?"

Izar smirked and let out a slight snort, "Sure, I'll tell you. Whether you'll believe will be another story."

"Try me." he challenged calmly.

Izar went into the living room and sat at the couch. Chad followed right behind her and did the same, sitting next to her. While he was sitting back Izar was sitting forward. With the robe hanging off her shoulders some of her back was exposed, leaving it out there for him to see well. Chad at first was struck with how smooth and beautiful her skin seemed. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and caress it. Run his fingers up and down her spinal cord. In the midst of his thoughts his eyes caught something else about her back. Right about where the slits in her shirt were cut he saw two marks on her back. They were the same ten pointed star marks like the one on her eye only these didn't have the intricate designs inside the thick outline.

"You're staring at my marks aren't you?" she asked him.

He looked away from her back to see her smiling mischievously over her shoulder at him, "So where do you want me to start?" she asked, still impishly.

Chad felt himself go wild at the mischievous way she was doing things now.

"Start from the beginning." he told her simply.

"Alright, get ready because you're in for a doozy." she smiled.

********************************************************************************************************************

Ready to learn the story behind little Ms. Izar? It's all in the next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing Bleach related in this series. All I own is Izar, Cyrus, and Thoth and their story.

********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Five: The Story of Celestial Wing

On the contrary to her mischievous and playful façade she was putting on for Chad, Izar felt her insides tighten as she readied herself to tell him the true story of what really happened to her and how come she's here now.

"For starters, my name wasn't originally Izar Chaosi. That's just a name I had chosen for when I came to this dimension from mine." she snorted a little, "I know it might sound strange but I am from another dimension. I didn't really have a name back then. I was only known by my codename, the name scientists had given to my friends and me. You see, I was born like everyone else in the universe but I was also sort of created. We were all created in a laboratory that had power and technology beyond anything anyone had ever seen.

"Before we were even born, still in our embryo state, the group of power hungry scientist who ran the lab had started on this project that they would call the 'Empyrean Angel Project'. It would start off with them using some kind of machine to harness a small fraction of the powers and abilities of the sun and the moon. Then they used it to harness an entire star's powers and abilities. The next stage was to put what was harnessed into a physical state, which they did by putting it all into small capsules of raw energy.

"They, then, took the capsules and infused it with our DNA while we were still in the womb growing. In doing this they had hoped we would absorb the energy into our bodies to be able to harness it, take on the qualities of the abilities, and be able to control them. Of course the operation was a huge success. Came the days of our births we all came out with these dreaded marks on our eyes. My friend who was infused with the moon's energy was born first bearing the moon mark on his eye. A little while after came my friend who bore the mark of the sun and had harnessed the sun's powers. I was the last one to be born with the star mark on my eye. So the Empyrean Angels were born." she paused for a moment, trying to gather up the courage for the next part where things would get worst. Much worse. "After we were born we had matured and developed very quickly, a lot faster than the normal infant. This had only excited our creators as they started to exploit our gifts and run horrible tests on us. When they had their fun they would shove us in cages and treat us like we were animals. No, lower than animals because I've seen how well the animals are treated in cases. The older and more experienced with our powers we got, the more brutal the exploits and test became. It was getting to the point where my friends and I were afraid that if we didn't die from the harsh tests we were going to be forced to do horrible and unspeakable things at the command of our creators. We didn't want to do the things we knew they were planning to make us do.

"Then one day my friend with the moon powers had an epiphany. What was stopping us from escaping exactly? Over the years we had gone from frightened, easily manipulated and naïve infants to powerful and strong young beings. We could have easily overpowered the scientists and got ourselves free. All we needed was the courage to do so." she said remembering every detail of what she was saying as the memories flashed before her eyes.

She remembered the determined and strong expression that Lunar Wing had when he was explaining his feelings and ideas to her and Solar Wing. She remembered how hopeful and happy she felt at the idea of getting out of the lab, away from the tests and training, to go out and be free and live a peaceful existence.

"So the three of you escaped." Chad had stated simply.

Izar finally looked over at him. He was staring at her intently, listening quietly as she told him her story. This was the first time he had spoken since she started.

"Yeah, we got out. Took out a good portion of the laboratory in the process too." she smiled a little. "After we escaped we were hunted unrelenting all over the place. Anywhere we went they sent all kinds of creations and monstrosities to capture us and drag us back there. Everyday was a living nightmare, running around trying not to get caught, fighting off all kinds of horrifying enemies. Not knowing if we were going to find anything to eat or a safe place to sleep, or even a proper place to bathe every now and again. At times I thought we were better off in the lab with the cages, but I never let myself give up because my friends never gave up. Especially Lunar Wing, he was always determined to keep our freedom. He would have sooner died than go back to being a captive." she smiled reminiscently.

"Lunar Wing?" Chad asked.

"That's what we took to calling each other. The scientist just codenamed us Empyrean Angel One, Two, and Three. Over the years as we grew up around each other and became friends during the nights when we were locked up in cages across from one another we called each other by what characteristic of wings they had. Lunar Wing, Solar Wing, and I was Celestial Wing, but the guys called me Cellie after awhile."

"Characteristic of wings?" Chad asked sounding a little lost.

"We weren't called the Empyrean Angels because it sounded pretty, Chad." she giggled a little, "Wanna see something really cool?" she asked impishly, a sly smirk crossing her lips.

"Uh, okay." Chad replied coolly.

Izar bounced up to her feet and grabbed Chad's hand in hers. She was drawn to how big and strong they felt in her much smaller grasp and yet there was something gentle and soft about his touch and his skin. Not to mention how warm his palms felt, they weren't sweaty or anything, just really warm. She really liked that warmth. With his hand in hers she led him out of the living room into his room where the full moonlight spilled into his otherwise dark room. She closed the door behind them, leaving Chad standing in the middle of his room. Then she walked over to the window, and stood with her back against it.

"This is why I'm called Celestial Wing, Chad." she said softly.

Suddenly with a loud _snap_ followed by a swift _whoosh_ the entire room was cast in shadow. Izar saw Chad's usual stoic expression change into a very animated one of awe. Unfurling from her back were four, big wings, two protruding out each side of her upper back. Her wings were about thirteen feet in length, thickly feathered and the most beautiful iridescent black color streaked with big dark purple stripes with bright white speckles sprinkled across them like stars across the night sky, an image that had characterized the celestial heavens above. Izar liked the way Chad was staring at her now. His eyes told her that he felt like he was staring at the most beautiful thing in the universe. That stare made her heart start fluttering and her stomach felt weightless.

"Wow," Chad gasped walking towards her.

When he was standing in front of her he reached his hands out and started stroking the feathers on her lower right wing. She folded her wings lightly against his touch, it felt good his hands stroking her feathers like that.

"They're really soft." Chad said quietly.

"Solar Wing has gold wings with orange and red streaks and Lunar Wing has silvery-white ones that have black tips on each feather." she explained to him. "So where was I in the story?" she asked him, his reaction to her wings making her smile.

"The part where you all had escaped and were living on the run." Chad answered his eyes still on her wings as he continued to stroke the feathers.

"Right," she said sitting on the floor underneath the window. "It feels so good to not have my wings cramped up anymore. I don't think I've flown at all in the last week." she ruffled her feathers just like actual birds do, the gesture an equivalent to stretching out after being in a cramped space for awhile.

Chad sat on the floor in front of her. He had stopped stroking her wing to look at her just as intently as he did before.

"After we had escaped and were living on the run Lunar Wing said he finally found a way for us to be safe. He said he knew how to go to a place where we wouldn't have to worry about the scientists and their creations chasing us anymore. He had somehow gotten his crafty little hands on a dimensional crystal."

"What's that?"

"A crystal from my dimension that makes it possible for us transport to other dimensions. Lunar Wing had got one and transported us to the place where we all had lived together. It was such a tiny place. So tiny there were only a few other people that lived there." she felt herself smiling at the fond memories she started having, "We were at peace there. Until one day Lunar Wing said he wanted to go to another dimension to live. Solar Wing and I were sort of surprised at first that he would change his mind so suddenly about leaving. Especially considering how he usually would consult with us before making decisions. Yet he told us that he didn't like being where we were. Something about it didn't feel safe anymore. It was like he was sensing some strange danger that Solar Wing and I kind of missed.

"Either way we had agreed to leave when Lunar Wing wanted to. We were coming to this dimension. So we studied up on it, learning as much as we could about things that went on here. We even picked out names that we felt would make us fit in better I was going to be called Izar, Solar Wing wanted to be Cyrus, and Lunar Wing wanted to be Thoth. There was a big argument between Solar Wing and Lunar Wing over his choice of name. We found it kind of odd that he wanted that name considering it was the name of a being that was worshiped in this dimension. Now that I think back on it, there were a lot of things going on with him that we found strange. I was just too blind to see what was happening while Solar Wing didn't want to come out and say anything against Lunar Wing for my benefit.

"Then one day Lunar Wing went missing. We had no idea where he could have gone. He would have never left us without a word to where he was going. It was the last straw for Solar Wing. He felt that Lunar Wing was up to something wrong. 'He's going to betray us, Cellie.' He kept repeating over and over as he scrambled around our small house, looking for clues as to where Lunar Wing had gone, but he already had his mind made up. 'Lunar Wing betrayed us, Cellie. I don't know how, when, or why but he did. Somebody must have got to him because he's not the same anymore.' I had no idea how right he was…" her voice faltered as she felt her eyes stinging from the tears she was trying to hold back.

She gulped down the large lump that had formed in the back of her throat and continued, "Lunar Wing did come back, but he hadn't returned as himself. There was something evil about him, something had changed him from the inside out. He had become destructive and maniacal as if over night. Two things he never was. He hated using his powers destructively. He didn't even want to destroy the lab. Me and Solar Wing did most of that but he stopped us. He was always so gentle and peaceful. A lot like you, Chad." she said giving Chad a small smile, "But as I said something changed him in his absence. When he returned he started ripping the entire world that we had lived in apart. He killed all those innocent people, destroyed everything in sight. He even tried to kill Solar Wing when he went to stop him. In minutes everything we had survived and fought to have was taken away by the one of us who had pursued it most." she was in tears at this point.

She tried to stop but she knew it wouldn't be long before she was in a fit of hysterical sobs.

"Lunar Wing, after he had beaten Solar Wing to a pulp and everything around us was falling apart he told me he would spare me. Of all things to say to me he said he would spare me while everyone else suffered and died. How could he do that? I told him I'd rather die beside Solar Wing than join the likes of him. He told me he would spare Solar Wing too if I said so but I didn't believe him. Instead I wrestled the dimension crystal away from him, found Solar Wing and tried to transfer us to this dimension on my own. Yet before we disappeared Lunar Wing had grabbed hold of me and the three of us ended up here. We were just outside the atmosphere of this planet and I was struggling to get Lunar Wing away from me. In the midst of the struggle Solar Wing had managed to successfully rip Lunar Wing away from me and both of them plummeted towards the planet but I had gotten separated from them and ended up falling somewhere else. I woke up a short time later with a vague memory of everything that happened. After wondering around in some nameless downtrodden town for awhile everything came rushing back. That's when I set off to find them. Ask me what I plan to do when I find them I honestly couldn't tell you. I just used our imprint to find out if they were still alive and followed the clues that it led me to."

"That led you here?" Chad asked.

Izar nodded.

"So if you fell from space how did none of you burn up in the atmosphere?" he asked sounding a little skeptical.

Izar pulled out the three necklaces that she had shown Chad and Ichigo back on the slope near the river. She grasped them tightly in her fist and in seconds her and Chad were encircled in a blazing white sphere, a barrier.

"With these necklaces all three of us can do it." she explained making the barrier disappear, "I also still have the dimension crystal, too." she said pulling out a tiny crystal that resembled a snow flake in appearance, "That's how I know they still have to be here somewhere."

"You said you followed an imprint. Mind if I ask what that is?"

"These," Izar replied simply, holding up her hands like she was surrendering, with a quick flash of more bright white light two marks appeared on the palm of her hands. On her left palm was a crescent moon that was similar to her star mark in its design as was the sun mark on her right palm, "When we first escaped the guys and I made imprints on each other. In case we got separated we would use our imprints to find each other. I've been using mine's like crazy, yet something is going wrong with them. I can't seem to trace Lunar Wing at all and every time I trace Solar Wing its very faint and I don't get much. On his imprint alone I found this city and their medallions. The only clue I have now is a name and I have no idea who this person is, how he's involved in any of this, or where to find him at. So right now I'm kinda stuck." she finished.

The room went silent for a moment between them. Izar studied Chad's face, searching he had believed everything wholeheartedly or thought she was still holding stuff back from him.

"So what do you think?" she asked breaking the silence.

Chad was quiet for a second before saying, "I believe you. With everything you showed me I would have to be pretty thickheaded not to. I just wanna know now is what are you planning on doing?"

"I'm still going to search for my friends. Hopefully I find Solar Wing, or in this dimension he'll probably call himself Cyrus, first. Then we can try to save Thoth from whatever it is that's happening with him." Izar said thoughtfully, at the same time she folded her wings back up tightly against her back until they had disappeared.

Chad nodded in comprehension. Before she knew what happened Izar felt a pair of strong arms nestle around her body in a firm, yet tender embrace. Chad was holding her against him, against his broad, powerful, and hard chest. She felt his heartbeat against her chest, a lovely, calm noise that soothed her.

"Chad, why are you holding me?" she asked, not really knowing how else to respond to the sudden intimate act.

"I want you to know you're not alone in this. You need help with anything, I'm right here for you. Like you were there for me all those times." he told her strongly with such conviction.

The moment seemed to last forever and Izar found herself becoming a tad saddened when Chad broke the embrace and got to his feet.

"You can sleep in here tonight." he said looking down at her, "I'll sleep on the couch. See you in the morning." he crossed the room towards the door.

"Chad," Izar called to him, not really wanting him to leave her yet, "Thank you so much for everything. I really appreciate it, all of it."

"You're welcome Izar, very much." Chad smiled before leaving out of the room.

As soon as he left Izar snuggled into the sheets of Chad's bed. Sleep came almost instantly for her. Usually before she went to sleep her last thoughts were on Cyrus and Thoth. Somewhere along the lines of calling Thoth a bastard or wondering where Cyrus was. Tonight her thoughts were different. They were on her warrior boy sleeping in the other room. Everything about him made her stomach clench and her heart flutter. His strong, muscular, brutish build that was a total contrast to his peaceful, caring, and quiet personality. His brown skin, his brown eyes, his shaggy hair, all of his masculine qualities. He was as beautiful as the coin that he wore around his neck. And his warm touch was just so remarkable. She kept replaying all the events that elapsed today back through her mind. All of it ending at him embracing her in his arms, telling her he would always be right there for her. Her last thought was 'So, is this what falling in love feels like?'

********************************************************************************************************************

Yes, she thought it. She thought the 'L' word, but don't expect them to hook up just yet. I hate when the couple hooks up too early. So there's going to be more tension and stuff before they can really get cozy with each other. Keep reading because things are about to take a sharp turn.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything Bleach related. All I own is Izar and her friends and anything original with their story.

********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Six: Apart

Izar stared at the beautiful sleeping boy in front of her. She had risen early that morning, beating the sun rising over the horizon. She had gotten dressed, washed her face, and got herself ready for a new day. Now she was kneeling beside the head of the couch where her warrior boy Chad was sleeping. Izar knelt there for the longest just gazing at him. All the feeling she had the night before returned. Her stomach acting funny, her heart feeling like it was going to fly away. Why was she having such strong feelings for this boy she really just met? Here it was she hung around Thoth and Cyrus, two very handsome boys with amazing personalities all her life. Not once had she thought of either of them in that way. They were so much like older brothers to her the thought of any romantic feelings towards them would have made her gag.

Here it was this boy was arousing these feelings so abruptly and so quickly it was shocking. Izar held up a shaky hand in front of Chad's face. His breath felt cool against her hand, she felt a chill go up her spine. Slowly and cautiously she touched his hair with her hand and started stroking it softly. His hair was soft and bushy feeling, like dry moss on a tree. She stroked the hair away from his face so she could get a full view of his face.

"He's so beautiful." she whispered. "Inside and out."

She stared at him some more and reflected back onto when he held her last night. It was in that moment when she knew she couldn't stay here with him. Staying with him she knew she would fall in love with him. That was a burden she did not want to put on him. Right now, her love would be very dangerous to have. Especially if things were going down the way she thought they were going to be. Somebody would get wind of the powers she and the others had possessed and soon would try to exploit them the way their creators had wanted to. With Thoth off his rocker the way he was now she wouldn't put it past him to go head first into anybody's evil schemes as long as he got what he wanted out of the deal. What that was she wasn't sure. She was just sure that right now was not a good time for her to be wanting a boyfriend.

"Especially not one like you, Chad." she whispered, "You're a good guy. You deserve a girl that won't get you into trouble or harm. A nice, good, normal," she paused to take a look at her clothing choice, "and feminine girlfriend." she smiled a little.

Chad stirred in his sleep a little. In his small movement his hand had went to her hand that was resting on the couch in the tiny space his body didn't preoccupy. He gripped her hand gently in his. As he did so she heard him softly say, "Izar."

Izar's heart started to race and her face became flushed and hot. As a matter of a fact, her whole body started to feel that way. Is he dreaming about her?

'I definitely can't stay now.' she thought, 'It would be the worst mistake I'll ever make if I do.'

She already felt she made a mistake when she failed to see and ignored the change that was going on with Thoth. She didn't want to keep adding more mistakes to her resume. No matter how torn she was feeling right now, she knew this could never be. With a very heavy heart and tears stinging at her eyes she carefully removed her hand from his. Her other hand was still holding the hair away from his face. Izar stroked is smooth brow with her thumb, enjoying the minor contact having decided that this would be the last time she would get the chance. Then completely on an impulse she lowered her face to his forehead and softly pressed her lips to his brow. She only left them there for a second before pulling back.

Quickly she got to her feet, her gaze still on him sleeping so peacefully.

"Goodbye Chad, thanks again for everything." she whispered, her tears streaming down her face. Out of all the sad things she had encountered in her life, this was probably the most heartbreaking for her.

In quick nimble strides she crossed the room towards the door and left out so swiftly she was certain not even if he was awake would Chad had noticed or heard it. Outside in front of the door Izar let a few sobs out before wiping her eyes and mentally willing the tears to stop. Looking at the back of her now wet hand Izar said to herself, "I cry too much anymore." Pulling herself together Izar walked off into the early morning, her determination to find her friends returning tenfold.

Chad's POV

Chad had awoke in the later weekend morning. Sunlight beamed in through his window, flooding the room in a golden glow. He sat up quickly and replayed the night before through his mind. All of his dreams that night were flooded with nothing but her. Every moment, every second, and he had enjoyed every part of it. Last night when she was telling him her story, about the things she had went through, and the horrible things she was exposed to. Yet still despite all of that she was able to put her trust in people, put her trust in him, a complete stranger to her. Even after being betrayed by one of her best friends, and she still had some sort of faith in him. The girl was just so full of hope. He found that such a beautiful quality about her. She looked so amazing last night, exposing her wings to him and showing him some of the remarkable powers she possessed.

An beautiful angel with wings of the night sky and a lovely star mark on her eye. This was all he saw in his dreams last night. The best part being at the end. Her presence was so strong it felt like she was right there beside him while he slept, stroking his hair and his forehead, him holding her hand in his. Her touch was slightly cooler than a regular person's but that's what he felt drawn to. When he saw her cry last night, weeping for not only herself but her friends she had lost, and the people who were hurt in her friend's massacre showed how much she cared about everybody. Chad felt he had to hold her, let her know that she didn't have to feel like she had to face this by herself any longer.

Just sitting here thinking about her made him want to rush to his room where she was sleeping and just be around her. He got to his feet and quickly went to his room. He saw the door was closed so he figured she must have still been sleep. Politely he tapped on the door.

"Izar?" he called through it.

When he heard no answer he tried the doorknob. It wasn't locked.

'She really is very trusting.' he thought.

Any other guy would have probably came in during the night and tried to have his way with her but Izar was trusting of him enough not to lock the door. Chad opened the door and peered into his room. When he saw it was empty his heart sank right into his stomach. Where is she? Chad called out her name loudly but he knew it was in vain when he saw that her clothes were missing and the robe he had given her last night was folded neatly in a pile at the head of his nicely made bed. He walked over to the bed and picked it up. It still felt cool like she did and still had her scent on it. Why did she leave? Didn't she believe him when he told her that he wanted to be there for her? That he would be? She didn't even say goodbye.

As Chad sat on the bed he had to rethink his last thought. The part of his dream where he felt Izar right beside him. It wasn't a dream. She was actually there, touching him, stroking him. His hand touched his forehead as he slowly remembered something soft and fleshy pressing against his brow. She had even kissed him.

"She did say goodbye. But why?" Chad though out loud, feeling the saddest he ever had in a long time.

The only other time he was ever this sad was when Abuelo had died. This feeling was equally as heart wrenching of an experience as that had been. Just like he did at the funeral, tears would not do him justice to express how sad he was right now. Then he thought to himself why was he so sad that she had left? Why did the girl make such an impact on him? The answer was very simple.

"I love her." he whispered, "I fell for her so quickly. I fell in love with her."

He bundled up the robe he was still cradling in his hands and held it close to his chest the same way he held Izar the night before.

'Izar, why did you leave me, my love?'

Izar's POV

It was getting dark and pouring down raining. Izar found herself caught in the downpour getting sopping wet. She had been walking around all day trying to use her imprint with Cyrus to try to find him. Just like the times before the imprint was weird and unreliable. The way the imprint was supposed to work was that the person on the using end would feel a strong pull towards the person on the other end. The feeling could be described as being pulled by an invisible rope into the direction of the one you're looking for. Yet on some occasions the person's imprint may not be very strong so they can instead leave something of a 'breadcrumb' imprint. An imprint that led you to clues that tell you where the person was or might be going. This was the imprint type that Izar now had with Cyrus. Her imprint with Thoth was completely severed at the moment and there was no hope of reaching him at all.

Izar had followed her imprint in a giant circle all around Karakura town. Now she was in a park being pelted by the relentless rain. Looking around the park she saw it was deserted with the exception of her. It was getting dark and she was pretty certain nobody would come to the park in this type of weather. Izar unfurled her celestial wings quickly, then placed them above her head as a make shift umbrella to stop them rain from hitting her anymore. After doing that she saw a huge tree with thick branches covered in leaves. She went towards it and ducked under its leafy top, seeking further shelter from the rain. Though the tree was providing enough shelter to keep her dry she still left her wings out. It wasn't exactly painful to keep them folded all the time but they did become very stiff being cooped up. More than ever now because she hadn't gotten in a good flight in the last week or so since flying to Karakura.

The wind started to pick up causing Izar, who was already soaked, to start getting a little chilled.

"Crap, it's getting cold." She shivered, pulling her knees up to chin and wrapping her arms and wings around herself.

She closed her eyes, trying to send some mental note to her body to feel warm to no avail.

"Okay, let's see," she spoke to herself, "Think about hot things. Things that are really warm."

Images of beaches and fire flashed through her mind. She thought of the sun which led her to think of Cyrus when he got really mad and his powers got as fired up as his temper. Her cold feeling seemed to subside some but she needed something that would really get the trick done. That's when she subconsciously thought 'Chad's touch was warm.' Before she could scold herself for thinking about him when she made a habit not too all day since she left him she had imagined he was right there with her. He was holding her against his warm, strong body like he had done last night. His arms embracing her in the most gentle and warmest of hugs. It was so vivid she actually felt his sculpted muscular form against hers. She pictured him nuzzling his face into her hair, she even felt his breathing on her. Soon her shivering stopped all together.

"Oh Chad," she breathed as she slowly drifted off into a sound sleep.

'I mss you already.'

A little while later Izar woke up with a start. She was suddenly overwhelmed with the feeling somebody was near her and trying to touch her while she slept. Sure enough when she opened her eyes she saw the face of a little boy flooding her vision. In her start her wings furled all the way open making the little boy slightly flinch from her. He was wearing a raincoat and boots, and for some odd reason he looked very familiar. When he opened his mouth realization came instantly.

"Oh wow, COOL! You have wings, and they're super awesome! They look like they have stars on them!." Kenji had beamed ecstatically.

"Hiya Kenji," Izar said slowly, wondering why was the little boy in the park at such an hour by himself.

"Hey mom, look. It's the girl me and Jiro were telling you about." He called over to somebody standing on the path away from the tree.

Izar looked over to see a pretty middle aged woman, holding an umbrella, wearing a long trench coat and a very worried expression on her face.

"Kenji," she said nervously, "Get back over here and leave that…the girl alone."

"C'mon, meet my mom. She doesn't think you're real." Kenji said grabbing Izar's wrist making her stand up, and dragging her over to where his mother was.

Izar predicted the woman's reaction down to a tee. She saw how huge the woman's eyes went as she emerged from under the tree. She had turned her dinner plate sized gaze to her face, checking out Izar's clearly uncovered marked eye, then she looked at the wings protruding out of her back. The woman finally looked her in the face again, not without pulling her son away from Izar like she had a disease the boy could catch.

"Mom, this is that girl. The one who jumped off the building." Kenji insisted.

"Um…" the woman paused, still eyeing Izar nervously, "Hi, I'm Kenji's mother, Akiko."

"I'm Izar Chaosi." Izar introduced furling up her wings thinking if she did so the woman would be more comfortable.

"Oh, that's a peculiar name." Akiko smiled shakily, still very cautious of Izar, "Uh Izar, why were you sleeping under that tree over there, especially in weather like this? Don't you have a place to stay?"

"No, I don't miss. Otherwise I would have been home and not in this mess." Izar told her sort of sarcastically.

Akiko was silent for a moment, still studying Izar's face. Izar knew she was really studying her mark.

"You don't have a place to stay?" Kenji said thoughtfully, "Hey mom, she can come stay with us. She can sleep in Kyoko's old room. Please mom." Kenji said eagerly tugging on his mother's coat.

"Well…" Akiko said unsurely.

"It's okay miss. I'm fine, really. Don't spare me any kindness." Izar said, "I've been doing fine this long."

"How long has that been?" Akiko asked.

"Considering since I've arrived here, about a week and a half." Izar said simply.

"A week and a half?" Akiko gasped, sympathy now replacing her earlier fear and cautiousness.

"That's what I said. So you two enjoy the rest of your night." Izar started to walk away from them, "Later Kenji." She called back to the little boy.

She was only a few feet away when she heard Akiko call her name. "Izar,"

Izar turned back around to face them, "Yeah,"

"Kenji's right, we do have a spare room available what with my daughter recently moving out and all. I'm sorry I was acting funny earlier. I just was taken aback a little by you at first. It's not everyday you see a girl with black wings and a tattoo on her eye. You must have had it pretty rough the last few days, please come stay with us for awhile." Akiko said giving Izar a big, friendly smile.

Izar had to admit she very shocked. What was everybody in Karakura town a softy for a girl with a marked left eye and wings? This was the second offer of shelter from a complete stranger within twenty four hours.

"Uh…er…Miss, I don't think that would be the best thing. I'm actually in some big trouble here and it would be best if I didn't make any ties with other people. Befriending me would put you in danger. It'll capture the attention of some very bad people who'll hurt you to get to me." Izar explained.

"Oh," Akiko said in a considering tone.

Just then a loud grumble came from Izar's empty stomach. She could tell from Kenji's laughing smile and Akiko's amused face that they heard it from over there. Embarrassed Izar covered her stomach with her arms.

"See, you're hungry and soaking wet. If you won't stay permanently will you at least come out of the rain?" Akiko said pleadingly.

Izar thought about this heavily. She really wanted a place to stay but she knew doing that would possibly put these people in danger. Though she hadn't been attacked by anybody since she came to this dimension she was still very wary. Yet, what harm could one night do? Chad survived his one night with her. Thinking about Chad made Izar feel sad again so she quickly banished the thought from her mind.

"Alright," she called to Akiko and Kenji, "But only for the night." She said trying to convince herself as well as them.

"Great, you're gonna love it at our house." Kenji said running over and grabbing Izar's wrist again.

Akiko waited until the two of them fell in step with her and the three of them walked to their house with only Kenji's jittery bantering and Izar's quick answers filling the silence between them.

Chad's POV

The Following Monday

"What? So just like that she up and left? No note, no nothing?" Ichigo asked Chad who continued to stare longingly out the classroom window.

It was Monday morning and Ichigo had asked Chad if the girl, Izar, was still staying at his place. To which Chad responded stoically by saying he woke up the next day to find her gone, disappearing without a trace. On the outside Chad seemed to be his normal, cool, collected self but on the inside he was a depressed mess. The rest of the weekend he spent at home, waiting to see if she would come back, constantly on the alert if she happened to. Yet all of it was in vain as she never did. All he could think about was her that entire time. She was the first and possibly the only girl he fell in love with, and also the first one to break his heart. The only thing he had left of her was her presence that still clung to his apartment, his memories of the short yet intimate moments they had shared, and also a strong feeling he had gotten the day she had left.

That night it had rained very hard and Chad was at his bedroom window, looking out of it, thinking about Izar. Somewhere during this action Chad was overcome with this sense that out there, somewhere Izar was thinking of him, needing him in a way. The feeling tugged at his heart for a long while. It was a heartbreaking feeling that he hated yet somehow enjoyed at the same time. He felt happy that Izar felt as though she needed him somewhere, but he was angry that he had no idea where she was in order to be there. Gripping his chest, Chad went over and sprawled himself across his bed. He was staring up at the ceiling but soon closed his eyes. He remembered thinking, 'Izar, if you need me. Show me a way I can from right here.'

Next thing he knew he felt her in his arms. Whether he was just recalling holding her from the night before or in some way, shape, or form Izar's presence was in his arms, he didn't know or care. For those brief minutes in time he got to hold her again. He could feel her soft, small, and slightly cooler than any other person's body against his. He laid there like that until as suddenly as it had happened it disappeared with a jolt. Chad sat up quickly, he was breathing hard and there was a cold sweat across his brow.

"Izar," he breathed.

"So just like that she up leaves. Did you get a thank you? Did she even say goodbye?" Ichigo pressed on.

Chad could tell from his tone he was getting angrier by the minute. At first Chad found himself a little angry, too. Yet he knew that Izar wouldn't have left just to hurt him. Maybe she left out of fear for him, herself, or perhaps both. Maybe she felt staying there wasn't the best thing for either of them. Either way he knew he couldn't be angry with her.

"Don't be mad, Ichigo." Chad said, "Actually all she did was thank me the entire time she was there, and when she left she in her own way said goodbye." An image of he kissing him on the forehead flashed through his mind.

Ichigo snorted, "Well good riddance. Some people."

"Yeah, some people." Chad repeated without as much malice as his friend.

'Izar.'

********************************************************************************************************************

I thought this chapter was kinda boring myself but now with all this out of the way I can get into the really good stuff.

Fun fact: While I was writing this chapter I was listening the song "Umbrella" (the All Time Low cover, not Rihanna's) and that's when the idea of Izar pretending Chad was holding her under the tree while it rained popped into my head. _Chad__ was being Izar's umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh. _


	7. Chapter 7

It's been some time since Izar made her departure from Chad's life. But let's say the two meet up again and the sparks start going like they never stopped. Oh, the romantic tension, may it run thick and unfulfilling. Mwah, ha, ha!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything in Bleach. I only own Izar, Cyrus, and Thoth and their stories.

********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Seven: Reunion

Roughly Around A Year Later

Izar watched as the fighters on the TV screen went at it like crazy. It was a beautiful young woman dressed up in some sexually suggestive outfit versus some muscular manly man with a bad attitude. The two battled fiercely as they exchanged blow for blow until finally the woman took the man down with a mighty kick that sent him flying in the air.

"You win!" exclaimed the announcer.

"Yeah! In your face! Who's bad? Who's bad? Uh huh. Uh huh. Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh." Izar sang, springing to her feet, throwing up her game controller, and doing the running man dance, rubbing her victory in the videogame in Kenji's face.

"Don't worry, I'll get you next time." Kenji smiled, laughing at Izar acting silly.

"Whatever, you suck." Izar said teasingly, sticking her tongue out playfully at him and continuing with her dance.

Akiko came into the living room, bursting into laughter when she saw Izar's silliness. She had a tray of cookies with glasses of milk balancing on it.

"I brought you two some snacks." Akiko said through her fits of laughter.

"Thanks mom." Kenji said.

"Thank you Akiko." Izar smiled.

"You're both welcome." Akiko said kissing the top of Kenji's head, then kissing Izar's too.

"Izar honey, can I speak with you in private for a minute?" Akiko asked with a smile.

"Sure." Izar said as she crammed a cookie in her mouth. Ever since she moved in with Kenji and Akiko she had been eating like a pig. Then again she always had a very huge appetite.

"Better get some practice in, Squirt. I'll be back for round two." Izar playfully punched Kenji's arm.

Kenji pretended to rear back to hit her.

"Okay, okay, I give." Izar said playfully surrendering as she followed after Akiko.

Akiko and Izar went into the kitchen and sat at the table across from each other. Izar noticed that Akiko seemed to smile a lot whenever she saw her hanging out and playing with Kenji and his friend who frequently visited Jiro.

"So what is it, Akiko?" Izar asked.

"Well, first off let me say that Kenji and I have really enjoyed your company the last year or so. It seems like it was only yesterday when we found you in the park and I thought you were some kind of black winged demon here to try to steal my son away like something from a scary story. Yet the minute you came into our home you came into our hearts too. You won us over with your charm, bright, funny nature, and I love how well you and Kenji get along. He thinks you're the coolest thing ever. He gets along with you better than his own sister.

"However, you constantly sneaking looks at my files and stuff from work and not organizing them the way you found them does tend to bug me from time to time." Akiko said brightly.

Izar felt her face flush. Though she had decided to stay with Akiko and Kenji for the moment she did not give up her search for Cyrus and Thoth. If anything the cards were placed in her favor as Akiko worked for the records department on the city's council. She kept a record of everyone that lives, moved to, or moved out of the city. In other words her job was to keep tabs on everyone in the city and whenever a certain person needed to be summoned she would bring her work home. She kept all her files in her study and when she wasn't there during the day Izar would sneak in and go through all her records in hopes of finding the name that Cyrus's imprint led her to 'Kisuke Urahara'. However not in her favor she could never, ever find it. This was guy was elusive as they came. She was starting to wonder if this guy even existed.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that."

"Well, that's very reassuring." Izar smiled back at her. "And I promise to try to organize your files when I'm finished rifling through them." She joked.

The two of them chuckled at that for a moment.

"Okay, onto what I really wanted to discuss with you. Izar, I think you should start going to school."

Izar's face dropped its bright expression at what Akiko had said. In Izar's old dimension she called home they had schools and other learning facilities for children but Izar was always certain she would never have to set foot in one because when she was back in the lab the scientist made sure that she, Cyrus, and Thoth had genius IQs. So school was always the furthest thing from her mind.

"I know, I know. It's a little out of the blue, but I've been thinking about it a lot recently. I'm very aware of the fact that you are very intelligent without school. You're actually a genius, don't think I haven't noticed. You've helped Kenji with his homework when I've been stumped plenty of times. But that's not why I think you should go. Izar, I've noticed when you're by yourself you get this really sad and lonely look to you. You seem so down and alone." Akiko said sympathetically.

Izar knew she was right. Whenever she was sitting alone in her room Izar thought about stuff that made her sad. Like Cyrus and Thoth, and more recently Chad. Every time she thought of him she got a strong sense of longing. All the time she wondered what he was doing and was he thinking about her or did he just forget her amongst the many faces of people that a kind person like him had helped throughout his days.

"So I figured maybe you getting out and socializing with other teenagers would help feel whatever void it is that you have." Akiko said shooting Izar a hopeful look from across the table.

"I don't know Akiko. I'll have to sleep on this one." Izar rose from her seat, "I'm not a hundred percent opposed to it but I'm also not exactly ecstatic about it either."

"Oh well, that's fine. At least you're going to think about it. Oh, I almost forgot, could you run to the store right quick? I forgot to fetch some things for dinner tomorrow."

"Sure, I need a walk anyway." Izar said.

Akiko fetched a folded up piece of paper from her apron, "Here's my list and you can go get some money out of my room."

"Okay, I'll be back." Izar said taking the paper and leaving out of the kitchen.

"Be careful, Izar." Akiko called after her.

"I will. You worry too much for someone your age." Izar said leaving out the door after getting the money off of Akiko's dresser.

As she was closing the door she heard Akiko say, "Oh, I love that girl."

Chad's POV

It's been quite some time since Chad had brought Izar to his house that night. Yet ever since she left he couldn't help but think about her at least once a day. Wondering where she was, what she was doing, and if she was finally happy wherever she chose to be. That night however he did have something to do that would take his mind off of her for the moment. He was invited to hang out that night by two of his friends. Right now the three of them were sitting by a deserted construction site. While his other two friends talked Chad sat in silence, half listening to what they were saying, half in his mind thinking about other things.

"A cockatiel that's cursed?" Chad's blonde haired friend said disbelievingly, studying the little white bird in the cage situated in the center of the semi circle they were sitting in.

"Uh huh, all the people that have owned this bird have gotten into these horrible situations and died." Responded his other friend a dark haired boy with a closed shave hair cut.

"Wow, that's not a good sign."

"Hey, you wanna take him?" dark hair asked.

"So please tell me, just how stupid do I look to you?" replied blondie a little indignantly, "Why don't you just set him free or dump him some place?"

"I can't man. That would be just too cruel. How about you, Chad?" he asked turning his attention to his quiet friend, "Whadya say? Isn't he cute?" he said dangling the cage and the bird in front of Chad's face like he was a dog and he was dangling a treat in front of him.

Chad had to admit it was a very cute little bird.

"Knock it off, you know Chad has a weakness for cute things." Scolded the blonde boy.

Just then the bird started to flutter its wings and let out a small cry. As if to warn them of something. A noise caught their attention and all of them looked upwards. One of the long, heavy metal beams from the construction site was falling right for them. Both of his friends let out terrified screams as the beam got closer. There was a loud _bang _with the sound of bending metal. When the smoke had cleared the two boys looked up to see that Chad, slightly hunched over, had stopped the falling beam using the back of his arms and shoulders to shield them.

"Ch…Chad?" stuttered the dark hair boy.

"Yeah…are you alright buddy?" blondie had asked slowly.

"Yeah, I think I'm okay." Chad answered simply like the feat he just did was completely normal and required no effort at all.

Just as he said that he felt something thick and oozy on top of his head and trickles of it streamed down the side of his face.

"You're okay?! Then how come you're bleeding bro?!"

"Thank you so much for saving me." Said a small, childish sounding voice that couldn't have came from any of the three boys.

Chad looked down at the little white bird on the ground in front of him.

"Hello there," the cockatiel continued brightly, "My name is Yuuichi Shibata, what's your name mister?"

"Did you…did you just hear that?" blondie said shakily, "That bird is talking like a real person."

"Yeah, I heard it." Replied the dark haired boy, "It really is cursed."

"I'd really like to know what your name is mister." The bird persisted.

A little taken aback Chad answered, "Sado Yasutora, I'm fifteen years old."

"Hey, check it out, Chad's interested in the bird."

"Excuse me," called another voice that couldn't have belonged to any of the boys or the bird because this one was feminine and clearly belonged to a girl.

The voice had came from behind Chad. His heart jumped at the sound because he instantly recognized it. It would have been crazy of him not to. He had been doing nothing but thinking about that voice for the last year. Slowly, his hopes placed so high, he started to turn around.

In the process of that he heard his blonde haired friend say flirtatiously to her, "Well, hello pretty young lady."

"Yeah," she said dismissively, not paying any attention to him, "I heard frantic screaming and a loud noise coming from this way. Is everything alright?"

Chad finally turned all the way around and thought his heart was going to stop at what he saw. Standing there was the girl he had been dreaming about for what felt like years. She was still as beautiful and exotic as he remembered, perhaps even more. She was dressed in baggy dark green cargo pants with a tight white hoody, white sneakers, and a white cap on her head, carrying a bag of groceries. Even though her long bangs covered it he knew her mark was underneath all that hair, and the visible shimmering dark eye he saw went big as she recognized him like he recognized her.

'Izar.' He thought but couldn't bring himself to say.

Things went silent as they both stared at each other for the longest second in history. At last she started taking small steps backwards before finally full on bolting into a sprint around the corner.

"Whoa, Chad you scared her off." Blondie cried disappointedly.

Chad didn't waste any time. He shoved the metal beam aside, grabbed the cockatiel in his hand, and sprinted after her. He had let her slip away once, he was determined not to let it happen again. He heard his friends calling him but he didn't look back. He kept running after her, keeping his eyes wide open for a white dot amongst the dark night. Soon he had caught up with her. Only it wasn't in time as she darted out and crossed a busy intersection while the light was green. Impulsively Chad followed her lead as he too darted out into the intersection just as a large truck was charging at him. A horn honked loudly making Chad aware of what he was doing.

Everything went by in flashes then. First all Chad could see was blinding high beams, then he saw a flash of white, but this white was so bright it appeared almost like it was hot and fiery. Similar to the way a star looked. Finally all the white and lights disappeared leaving him looking at the busted front grill of the truck. From what he could see the grill was flat, scrunched up, and pushed inward as if a wall had suddenly been placed between the truck and him, preventing the truck from running him over.

"Thank you so much Miss for saving us." Chad heard the cockatiel say.

Chad cast his gaze downward to see her standing in front of him, her arm held out in front as if halting the truck by itself. Somewhere amidst the confusion Izar had made her way back into the intersection, put herself in between him and the truck, and somehow prevented it from running him over. Chad could only stare at her in disbelief. Not because he was surprised by what she had obviously done but for the fact she was right there before him. After all this time. Izar turned around and looked up at him. Just like the day back under the bridge when she battled those boys to get his coin back he saw her eye was uncovered and her mark was glowing with the same fiery white starlight he saw flash only seconds ago.

"You're hurt." She said, her mark stopped glowing and her face became covered with concern.

"Are you two kids crazy?!" he heard a man voice shout at them. "I could have killed you!"

Chad guessed it must have been the truck driver but didn't bother to look. His eyes were glued on Izar.

"C'mon, let's get you patched up." Izar took his free hand in hers and led him through the crowd of spectators that had started to form, coming to see what just happened.

"Miss, I would like to know what your name is. I'm Yuuichi Shibata." The cockatiel introduced itself.

Izar whipped her head around to look at the bird. With a start she let go of Chad's hand much to his disappointment.

"Holy crap, that thing just talked!" she cried out quickly, "Animals don't do that here right? Not outside of TV."

Chad knew what she meant by 'here'. She meant in this dimension.

"What is your name Miss?" Yuuichi, the cockatiel asked again.

"Um…I'm Izar Chaosi." She said uneasily, "Chad, why is your bird talking?" she asked him.

Chad didn't answer her. He just continued to stare.

"Oh right, you're probably pissed at me huh?" she said with a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest, "I figured as much. Well still, I'm gonna patch that up for ya. So come along." She said walking off, not bothering with taking his hand because she knew he was going to follow.

The two of them walked all he way to where she was staying at with him a couple of paces behind her.

"Here we are." She called back to him as she went up the walkway and paused at the door.

Chad walked up and met her at the door.

"You're gonna like the people I live with. It's only two of them, a woman and her son. A little boy I bumped into the same day I bumped into you. They're really nice." She explained to him brightly, opening the door.

"Akiko, I'm back." She called into the house, kicking off her shoes at the door. Chad did the same thing and followed her inside.

A pretty middle aged woman appeared from down the hall to greet them. She was smiling broadly but at the sight of him her face quickly fell.

"Oh Izar, you brought a friend?" she gave Izar an uneasy smile.

"He's a really good friend of mine's and he's hurt." Izar said to her but she looked at Chad, "I brought him here so I could patch him up."

"Okay then. Be quiet though, Kenji's in the bed sleep." Akiko instructed.

"C'mon Chad." Izar said giving the grocery bag to Akiko and making her way up the stairs.

Chad gave Akiko a simple wave as a greeting before following Izar. He felt her uneasy gaze on him the whole time he ascended up the stairs. Upstairs he saw Izar standing in a doorway with a brown bottle in one hand and a small towel in the other. He walked towards her and they both went into the bathroom. Setting his cockatiel on the floor he sat on the edge of the tub. Izar poured some peroxide onto the towel, then went over and wrapped it around his head, holding it in place.

"It may sting at first." She told him.

It did sting but it didn't bother him as much as it would a regular person.

"So how have you been, Chad?" she said pleasantly.

"Okay I guess." He answered flatly.

"So you are talking to me. Are you angry with me?" she asked a little sadly, "I know you are."

"No, I'm not." Chad said sincerely.

"You must have been after I left the way I did."

"At first." He answered simply, "But I knew that you must have had your reasons and I would accept those no matter what."

It was quiet for a moment.

"I'm really sorry." She said so softly Chad almost didn't hear her. "I'm so sorry I ran away from you. I just felt like I couldn't face you right then. Not so suddenly after all this time. I thought staying with you would be a mistake on my part. I was scared that being around you would put you in some sort of danger."

"Then how come you're staying here?" he asked.

"I was reluctant at first, believe me. They found me the same day I left you. And just like you they wanted to help me, even after noticing my rather strange qualities."

"So they know what you are?"

"They know something but not nearly the whole story like you do. I was only suppose to stay for the night, to get out of the rain. Just how I did you I left early in the morning without them knowing but something happened where I ended up coming back in the middle of the night. Before it was just to sneak into the room they gave me and have a bed to sleep in at night. Then it just evolved from there."

"What about your mission to find your friends?"

"I haven't forgotten it. Akiko's job actually sort of helps me out in that department. She's a record holder for everybody who lives here and things such as. So I go through her files…

"Trying to find some hint of your friends or the name you said you had." Chad finished for her.

"Exactly."

"Why didn't you come back to me?" Chad said, this time the hurt in his voice was apparent.

"I thought you were mad and hated me. So I stayed away. Besides I thought you might have just forgot about me, too. A guy like you probably helped people everyday and I was just one of many." She explained.

Chad grabbed both of Izar's hands, brought them down from his head, and held them in his. There it was, that cool touch he had dreamt about and missed so much over the months. Her hands were just as soft and cool as he remembered.

"I never forgot about you, Izar. How could you even expect me to?" he looked at her face to see she was smiling. Oh, how he dreamt about that smile.

"That's nice to know. I haven't forgotten you either." She said.

She placed her forehead against his. Him sitting down made him a little less tall than her so she could achieve this deed. Chad relished in feeling her coolness against him and feeling her breath on his face. With her having her face so close to his Chad started to notice just how close her lips were to his. He started to reflect back on the morning she had kissed his forehead, remembering how good it was, even though he was sleep he knew he liked the feeling. If it felt that good on his brow he could only imagine how good it would feel if he actually kissed her. For a moment Izar and him locked eyes with each other. He reached up and brushed those pesky bangs out of her beautiful dark eyes, revealing her lovely mark.

"Your mark is beautiful." He breathed, realizing how he was somewhat holding it.

"Like your coin is." She replied just as breathlessly.

The words they spoke had more meaning to them. Words that they wanted to say but didn't.

Breaking the contact and moment quickly Izar took her hands from his, went to the medicine cabinet, and came back with a first aid kit. Silently, she took the towel from his head, wiped the blood away from his face and most of his hair, and wrapped bandages around his head.

"There, all done" she said brightly when she finished.

"Thank you." Chad said, still recovering from their moment and its sudden dispelling.

"No Chad, thank you for coming back into my life." Izar said staring him right in his eyes.

Chad felt his insides melt under that gaze.

"I'll walk you and your talking bird to the door. I think he's sleep now though."

Chad looked in the cage to see he was. So he carefully handled the cage so he wouldn't disturb him.

"He's really cute now that I noticed." Izar said as they walked down the stairs and to the front door.

Chad slipped on his shoes, then went to stand outside the door.

"See ya, Chad." Izar said smiling but Chad could see from her eyes she was sad to see him leave.

He smiled a small one and gave her a nod, then shut the door. As he started walking off towards home he thought, 'I have her back. I finally have her back.'

Izar's POV

Izar stood there staring at the door long after Chad had left. How could he have such a forgiving and easygoing nature about him? He didn't yell at her or demand answers for why she left or anything like that. He just accepted her answers as they were and took it all in stride. The only time he let on he was hurt was when he asked why didn't she come to him when she realized that for now the coast was clear. Even then he accepted her answer.

'Chad, I was stupid to think I was doing us both a favor by leaving you. How could I let you out of my life like that?'

She thought back to their moment in the bathroom. What would have happened if he had decided to kiss her? That's if he had wanted to kiss her. She found it hard to describe her feelings for Chad right now and his feelings seemed to be just as complex. She did like him and cared about him a lot but the last thing she wanted was to rush into anything.

'I like him. I should just let everything else progress naturally.'

Finally she decided what she wanted to do. She went to Akiko's study quickly. Akiko was sorting through files as usual. She looked up and smiled when she saw her.

"Hey Izar, has your friend gone?" she asked. "He's quite the big one, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he left. Akiko, listen. I've decided that I will accept your offer and go to school." She said speedily.

"Oh, really?" Akiko beamed, "Great, now the question is where are we going to enroll you?"

"I have the answer for that." Izar said brightly, "My friend whom you just met, his name is Yasutora Sado, and wherever he's enrolled is where I want to attend school at."

********************************************************************************************************************

Aw snap! Ichigo and the gang better get themselves prepared because there's another new girl in school and she's definitely going to be a handful. In the first part I for the life of me couldn't get the names of Chad's two friends. Not to mention I went back and rewatched some episodes and a lot of the beginning of my story wasn't accurate. But you know, who cares about pinpoint accuracy. I'm doing a good job of sticking to the script for the most part. Just keep reading and enjoy.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything Bleach. I own Izar, Cyrus, Thoth and their stories. That's it!

********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Eight: New Girl

"Are you sure about this, Izar? Really sure?" Akiko asked for the hundredth time as she fixed Izar's necktie.

"Yes Akiko, what did I tell you about that worrying?" Izar said teasingly.

"I'll get premature wrinkles, I know. I'm just a little worried about your first day that's all." Akiko admitted.

Izar had to admit that she was just as nervous as Akiko but she was better at hiding it. Another thing she had to admit was that if she could, she would have definitely gone without this uniform. Being the big, overgrown tomboy that she was she hated anything remotely girly outside of jewelry and even that had a limit on it. Everything about the uniform she wore was girly down to the blasted skirt. She _loathed _skirts. She knew in her heart of hearts that before the day was over some pervert was going to try to get a look up her skirt and she would have to put him a very early grave. The only saving grace she had was the fact that instead of those loafer shoes she was determined she was not leaving the house unless she had her black, clunky skater sneakers on.

Akiko finished fiddling with the necktie and stepped back to take a look at Izar. Kenji was standing behind her in his school uniform, too. When he got a gander at Izar he burst into laughter.

"What's so funny, wee man?" Izar said, her face going hot.

"It's just you look pretty and I know how much you hate looking pretty." He said in between giggles. "You must be hating that skirt."

"Be quiet, Kenji. Don't tease Izar." Akiko scolded her son. "One more thing," she said, a light bulb going on in her head.

Akiko left and came back quickly with a handheld mirror and a small white circle. "Hold still." She told Izar handing her the mirror and then opening the circle to show a smooth brown substance inside.

Akiko dabbed her finger tips in it and started smoothing all around the area of Izar's left eye. After a few minutes she stepped back and said proudly, "Take a look."

Izar held the mirror up to her face and gasped at her reflection. Her mark was gone!

"My mark?" Izar said going to touch her face.

"Don't!" Akiko loudly warned her, "You'll smear it. It's concealer it covers up things. If it smears at all today just apply a thin layer. Number one rule of make-up: a little goes a long way." She said with a smile handing her the circle.

Izar took the concealer and put it in a small compartment on her suitcase like schoolbag.

"Now go off and have a nice day you two." Akiko said shoving both Kenji and Izar out the door.

They waved to her as they walked down the street. Halfway down the street Izar couldn't help but feel Kenji staring very hard at her face.

"What's wrong Kenji?" she asked him.

"I don't like your mark being covered up. Your mark is pretty." He said strongly.

"Well, it's so I won't draw too much attention when I go to school is all. I like my mark too Kenji, I wouldn't want to cover it up otherwise." She told him reassuringly.

He was such a sweet kid.

"Hey Kenji!" they heard a voice call.

The twosome looked to see Kenji's friend Jiro running towards them.

"Hey Kenji, Hi Ms. Izar." He greeted them.

"I told you before Jiro, you don't have to call me miss." Izar smiled.

He was another really sweet kid.

"C'mon or we'll be late Kenji." Jiro said.

"Right," Kenji said with a nod, "Later Izar, have a nice day at school." He said running off with Jiro in the direction of their school.

Izar walked the next couple of blocks by herself quietly. Her stomach was doing a whole gymnastic routine in her stomach. She was so anxious about this she felt like she was going to explode. Finally, at long last, she reached the front entrance to the school. There were teenagers everywhere. Izar couldn't think of the last time she had been around so many people at once. Everywhere she turned she saw group of kids talking, laughing, hugging, all sorts of things. For a moment she got a little nervous about the whole scene. What happens if no one liked her and she ended up being all alone? Then she remembered the reason she came here was because Chad was here. She knew that a guy like Chad would keep a friend, especially his carrot top friend Ichigo. He seemed to like her okay.

With a new boost of confidence Izar stood proudly and walked towards the front doors. Almost instantly the whispers started.

"Hey, you see her?" a girl's voice said.

"Wow, she's really beautiful. Look at all that hair." Said another.

"Her skin's colored so she must be foreign." A boy's voice said.

"Look at that, she's wearing sneakers with her uniform." Said another.

Izar should have expected this. For this reason she tried her best to stay out of public places. She kept walking listening to the inquiring whispers about her and never indulging in them by answering any. Soon the cat calls started pouring in which made her put a little more pep in her step. At that moment a tall, lean figure stepped into her path. Izar looked up with one eyebrow raised at the young man standing in front of her.

"Hi there beautiful lady," he greeted in a smooth velvety voice that would have melted any other girl's heart but Izar thought he was just trying too hard.

He was a good looking guy with blue-black overly long hair that swept about his shoulders and down his back with slanted dark blue eyes and features that were so androgynous that even the straightest man would question himself after looking at him. He flipped a lock of hair behind his shoulder and gave Izar his best smoldering stare.

'I think he's undressing me with his eyes.' She thought angrily.

"Hey," she responded dryly.

"My name's Nikko Kazuto, may I have the pleasure of knowing yours?" he flashed a toothpaste commercial worthy smile at her.

Izar looked over to see a group of girls swoon and fall over.

'Oh boy.'

"I'm Izar Chaosi." She said trying to smile but finding it hard to do so.

"Such a lovely exotic name for such an exotic beauty." He said taking her hand, going in to kiss it.

Izar quickly snatched her hand away, much to his dismay.

"Did you see that?" gasped a girl.

"She just pulled her hand away from Nikko."

"What is she crazy?! That's the most handsome guy in all the school."

Nikko recovered quickly, brushing the front of his shirt with his hands.

"So Ms. Chaosi, I understand you're new here." He said in a conversational tone.

"Yes, I am. If you would please excuse me. I need to get to the office and find my homeroom."

"Then allow me to walk you." He offered.

"No thanks I'm fine. I'm sure one of your groupies would gladly take my place on the offer." Izar said a little smugly.

She wasn't interested in this guy whatsoever and frankly, she didn't feel like he was interested in her outside of the fact that she was beautiful. From the look on his face Izar could see she was striking a chord with this guy.

"It was nice talking to you, somewhat, Mr. Kazuto but I must be on my way." Izar said ducking around him and going towards the entrance again.

"You look just as beautiful walking away, Izar." he called after her.

Izar came to an immediate halt. She whipped around quickly to face him, "What did you say to me?" she practically growled at him, her lips curled up.

Izar may have considered herself a cry baby when she first arrived in Karakura Town. That was because at the time she felt vulnerable and sad following all the crap she dealt with leading up to this. Now she was feeling like her old self again. One thing this Nikko guy didn't know was that she was called 'Scrappy' once upon a time. She wasn't just called that because it sounded cute

Nikko walked over to her, a smug sneer on his face, "I was saying that your rear view was as beautiful as the front." He said.

Izar watched as his hand went behind her and then she felt his finger trying to go under her skirt. Without any hesitation Izar drove her elbow hard into his gut. A blow that sent him doubling over in pain. Taking her schoolbag she slammed it right into his head, sending him skidding across the ground a couple of yards away from her. By the time the stirred up dust had cleared Izar was walking into the school, her hands tugging at her skirt trying to keep it down in case anybody else wanted to give it a shot. Little did she know nobody really wanted to after seeing the example she had made out of Nikko.

Chad's POV

By the time Chad had finally arrived at school it was lunch hour and half of the day was gone. He still had his talking pet cockatiel in hand as he ascended up the stairs to the roof where he knew Ichigo and his other friends, Keigo and Mizuiro often had lunch at. As he reached the opened door he could already hear Keigo's hyperactive screeching. Keigo was so into what he was being animated about he bumped right into Chad. With Keigo Chad saw Ichigo, Mizuiro, and the new girl Rukia on the roof.

"Hey Chad," Ichigo greeted from his perch on the ground, his back leaning against the fence.

Chad held up his hand in a simple wave with a grunt for greeting.

"Chad, what's with all the bandages?" Ichigo asked.

"You got hurt? How? What happened to you?" Keigo cried in disbelief that his indestructible friend was actually hurt.

"I had a mishap. A steel beam fell on my head." He replied like it was nothing to survive such an incident.

"A steel beam?! Are you for real?!" Keigo continued spastically.

"My hand got hurt when a motorcycle ran into me." Chad went on explaining displaying his bandaged hand to everyone present. "The rider who ran into me got banged up pretty bad. The force of the collision threw him off and he was knocked out. So I picked the guy up and carried him to the hospital." He finished.

"No wonder you were late for school." Mizuiro said.

"The only thing I'm wondering about is what exactly is your body made of." Ichigo said giving Chad a questioning glare.

"Yep, that's my Chad for ya. Getting banged up himself in the process but still going out of his way to help people." Said an additional voice.

Chad quickly turned around to see Izar walk up to stand beside him. Though he didn't really seem it Chad was surprised beyond belief to see her standing right there. What was she doing here?

"Uh…Izar," he breathed.

"Hiya Chad," she greeted brightly, then grabbing his shoulder and pulling him down so she could whisper in his ear she added, "At least act happy to see me. I agreed to all this school stuff because of you."

"Because of me?" Chad asked.

"Yeah, because of you. I left you once, I won't do it again." She told him strongly, then added more softly, "I really missed you, Chad." afterward she planted a quick, soft kiss on his cheek.

When she let go Chad stood up to his full height. All of his friends' eyes were on him and Izar. He was pretty sure everyone saw the kiss Izar gave him.

"Well howdy there foxy lady!" Keigo called out to Izar, he came flying at her with his arms wide open to her.

Just as soon as he was within reaching distance she stuck out her fist and let him fly right into it. Keigo crumpled in a heap in front of her.

"Sorry about that. I kinda already had an earlier run in with a pervert so I'm not taking any chances. Nothing personal, really." She said brightly to Keigo's crumpled form.

"It'll all be alright if you give me a kiss too." Keigo sprung back to life going in for Izar again.

Izar this time grabbed his collar and flipped him over her head, slamming him behind her.

"I'm a little less repentant about that one." She quipped before turning back to the rest of the gang with her biggest friendly smile.

"Hi, I'm Izar Chaosi." She introduced.

"I know who you are." Ichigo growled getting to his feet and coming to stand right over her, "You're the girl who mooched off of Chad for one night then left him high and dry the next morning."

"You two know each other, Ichigo?" Rukia asked stiffly.

Chad noticed that Rukia was giving Izar a very strange glare. It was an analytical and dangerously cautious stare. He was slightly perplexed by why she would stare at Izar like that.

"Yeah, I met her the same day I met Chad. Only difference is Chad stuck around and this moocher skipped town." Ichigo growled at her.

"Up yours, you don't know anything!" Izar shot back harshly, "I had to leave, but I'm back now and you're not going to be talking to me any kind of way, got it carrot top?!"

"Carrot top?!" Ichigo cried outraged getting right in her face, just then his expression changed, "Hey, what happened to that tattoo you had around your eye? It's gone."

At the mention of a tattoo Rukia perked up quickly, "A tattoo? What kind?" she asked suspiciously.

"It was a st…" Ichigo started.

"It's really nobody else's concern." Izar said quickly and stiffly, "If I want to cover up my mark than obviously I don't want attention drawn to it."

"Tattoo, no tattoo. Let's just all sit down and have lunch together. The period's almost over anyway." Mizuiro cut in finally.

"Yeah, let's get this party started." Keigo cried happily.

"Geez, he's spastic." Izar said, a hint of annoyance in her tone.

She turned to Chad and gave him a mischievous smile, the one that drove him crazy, "Cute group of buds you got here." She said teasingly.

Chad felt a small smile on his lips.

"Hey Chad, where'd you get that bird from?" Keigo asked as Chad set his cockatiel's cage on the ground.

"My name's Yuuichi Shibata. Nice to meet you. What is your name?" Yuuichi introduced himself.

When the bird spoke Izar grabbed hold of Chad's shirt and whispered to Chad, "Why does that bird talk to everyone? He's not supposed to. I got confirmation on last night that birds definitely don't talk."

Keigo and his hyperactive and spastic ways preoccupied everyone's attention before Chad could give Izar an answer.

"Wow! That's amazing!" Keigo said excitedly, "The way this bird can talk is phenomenal! My name's Keigo Asano. Kei-go-As-an-o, can you say that?"

"So Chad, where did you get this bird?" Ichigo asked.

"Someone…" Chad started off.

He took a very long, exaggerated pause. In the pause he was deciding whether he wanted to tell them the truth about the bird or not. Finally ending the pause he said slowly, "Gave me him."

"There you go again!" Keigo cried, "Getting lazy and cutting your story short. Come on!"

"Easy Spaz boy." Izar said irately.

"That's a bad habit that he has. Now explain, Chad. Spill it!" Keigo went on.

Chad sat on the ground in front of his pet's cage with a plastic covered snack in his hand, "That was the whole story." He replied.

"There you go. Just like you usually do." Keigo still went on.

"Just accept his answer and leave him alone." Izar snapped on him, turning to Mizuiro she said, "This guy's always like this?"

"Yes, very much so." Mizuiro said shaking his head in shame, "If you want to hang out with us just do what we all do. Get used to it and ignore him."

Chad broke off small pieces of his food and fed it to his bird. Mizuiro, Keigo, and Izar gathered around him and the cockatiel. Ichigo and Rukia were out of the loop, standing over by the gates, talking in low voices.

"Can I feed him, Chad?" Izar asked him.

Chad handed her the small piece of food. She stuck it in the cage in front of Yuuichi's beak and he happily ate it. Izar smiled and started petting his little beak, much to his pleasure.

"That girl keeps eyeing me." Izar said softly so only Chad could hear.

"I've noticed." Chad responded.

"What's her deal?" Izar said a little more demandingly.

"Don't know. Just like you she's new to school. So I don't know much about her."

"You didn't tell her about me, did you? Or did you tell Ichigo and he might have told her? They seem pretty close." Izar said her voice taking an accusatory tone.

"No, I didn't Izar. I wouldn't do that if you didn't want me to."

Izar let out a small sigh.

"Hey, what are you two whispering about? Hey Chad, I saw her kiss you earlier. Is this your girlfriend? She's so gorgeous." Keigo said fast and all in one breath.

Izar took her hand and shoved Keigo by the face away from them.

"Man, he's annoying. I don't think I'll ever get used to that." Izar vented.

"Only when he's around really pretty girls." Mizuiro said, "But I must ask myself, are you two a couple?"

Chad and Izar looked at each other. That lovely impish smile that Chad loved so much crept across her face.

"No," she said slowly, still smiling, "He's just my best friend in the whole world."

"Yeah, the 'just friends' line that nobody ever buys." Mizuiro said eating his lunch.

Ichigo's POV

Ichigo and Rukia just finished talking about the spirit that they had sensed inside of Chad's new talking pet bird. Tonight Ichigo seemed like he was going to miss some more sleep over this. This Soul Reaper stuff was seriously cutting into his beauty sleep. From that conversation they had branched off into how Chad and Ichigo had first met. After he finished Rukia took their conversation into another direction.

"What about that girl?" Rukia asked.

"Who, Izar?" Ichigo said looking over at her and Chad whispering to each other while they took turns feeding the cockatiel.

Although it was hard to tell somehow Ichigo read in Chad's face that this was possibly the happiest he's been in awhile. Now that he thought about it Chad did seem a little sad and forlorn the day he came back to school and told Ichigo that Izar had just up and left without a word.

"Yes, you said you met her the same day you met Chad. What was that like? How did she act? Did she seem threatening at all?" Rukia interrogated.

Ichigo noticed that though she spoke to him she was staring intently at Izar.

"I don't know. Chad was the one who really talked to her and she seemed only interested in him. She did everything short of flat out ignoring me. Why are you asking all these questions anyway?"

"Ichigo, you're saying you don't feel that strange pressure coming from her? I've been getting flooded with this feeling ever since she showed up. That's why we slept on the cockatiel at first." She explained.

"Really?" then Ichigo concentrated a little harder and he did sense it.

It was like spiritual pressure but it as more, the best word he could think, was raw and much more powerful than anything he felt up until now. It was power that wasn't fully concentrated and controlled.

"She is strong but…" Ichigo started.

"There's this feeling that she isn't able to harness and control all of it yet, right?" Rukia finished, "Like her power is to immense for her, or that's at least how she wants it to appear. That mark you said was on her eye, can you describe it to me? What did it look like and what could she have possibly done to hide it?"

"Well, it was a star around her left eye, only this star had more than five points. It was more like ten and it had all these lines that looked like cursive inside with smaller stars. I remembered when I first saw it I kept thinking how wicked of a tattoo it was. I hadn't noticed it right away because the first couple of times we bumped into her she made it so her bangs covered it up. Then one day she had passed out from not eating and her hair fell away from her face. That's when I saw it. She must be using make-up or something to cover it up now.

"I always found that weird though."

"What?"

"If it was just a tattoo why did she make such a fuss to cover it up? When I mentioned it earlier she got pissed." Ichigo wondered.

"I have a theory but I don't want to rush into things and go out on a limb here. I'll definitely give it more time. I will tell you this Ichigo, if my theory is correct then we best have ourselves prepared. That girl could possibly be one of the most dangerous beings ever created."

********************************************************************************************************************

Oh, it's about to get serious now. I know it was kind of long but I kinda liked it. Keep reading and reviewing.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I only own Izar, Cyrus, Thoth, and their stories. Everything Bleach is all Mr. Tite's. I like Mr. Tite, Hi Mr. Tite! Keep up the good work.

Chapter Nine: Bad Luck or just Bad Timing

Izar's POV

"So, how did you like your first day of school?" Chad asked Izar as he walked her home, still carrying his pet.

"It was interesting. I just hate having to sit in there learning stuff I already know like that back of my freckly little hand." Izar complained slightly. "Your friends seem okay too. Ichigo's a little meaner but I think he was just looking out for you. However, that Keigo guy, he's going to take some getting used to."

"You said you wanted to go to school because of me." Chad said slowly.

"Yeah," Izar said in a matter of fact tone, "I left you high and dry, Chad and I'm not proud of that at all. I convinced myself leaving you would have been best. Then I turned around and went back on what I said I wouldn't do by bunking with Akiko and Kenji."

Izar's heart was heavy with guilt over this. Yesterday when they were in the bathroom she got a good glimpse of how hurt Chad was about her leaving.

"So from now on I'm going to make it up to you. I don't have a clue exactly how yet, but maybe becoming your friend is a start." She gave him a smile.

One that he returned on a smaller scale. Izar would have loved to see him smile fully. She bet it was beautiful.

"You already are my friend." Chad told her.

"Then I'll become a better one. I'll be the best friend you ever had in your entire life." Izar proclaimed proudly.

Chad let out a soft chuckle at her.

"Don't laugh, I'm serious." Izar whined but she was smiling too.

"Izar, how did you cover up your mark?" he asked suddenly.

"Oh, that." She wiped a her hand over her left eye, smearing off some of the concealer, leaving only smidgeons of her mark exposed, "It's concealer, see? Akiko said if I didn't want to draw attention to my mark that I could cover it with this stuff." She explained.

"I like your mark." He said stiffly.

"Kenji was mad about me covering it up too. He said it was pretty and that I shouldn't cover it."

"Pretty's an understatement."

"Well, he's only nine. I'm not expecting poetry from him." She snorted.

Chad laughed softly too, "Hey, you said the way you've been tracking your friends is through that thing called an imprint, right?"

"Yeah," Izar said questioningly.

"You said the imprint let's you find the other person, no matter what?" he pressed on.

"Only if the person being searched for really doesn't want to be found, but why are you asking?" she eyed him suspiciously.

"You feel bad about the way you left me before and you said you want to make up for it. I think I know a way you can. Make it so if you do run off again I can find you. Imprint on me."

Izar stopped walking to give Chad a shocked, wide eyes expression, "You want me to imprint you?"

"Yes, is there a problem?" he said stopping a few feet ahead of her.

"No, not really. It's just…are you sure you want to do that because the side effect is that an imprint is permanent whether it works well or not. What happens if you don't want it anymore or you don't want me around? Then what would you do?"

"I'll just live with my decision. I want you to imprint me so I can find you and the other way around." He said firmly, his usual stoic face had a more determined look about it.

'He really wants this.' She thought.

"Alright, come here then." She instructed.

He came over and stood in front of her. Izar took his hand, straightened it out, then placed his palm within inches of her marked eye. She took a deep breath and concentrated really hard. Within seconds a familiar tingling came about her mark as it started to glow with the same fiery white starlight that seemed to always be present when she used her powers. Quickly the whole process was over. Her mark stopped glowing and she let go of Chad's big, warm hand.

"Take a look." She told him.

Chad looked at the palm of his hand. She knew that on it was an exact copy of her star mark that covered her eye.

"Now you have been imprinted. Whenever one of us wants to find the other both of our marks glow." She clarified for him.

Chad's eyes went a fraction wider while he stared at his palm, "My mark disappeared." He said a little excitedly.

"It's going to do that. It will only appear when you use it. Any other time it just stays out of the way."

"Oh," Chad said with a deep breath.

"Well, let's get…" Izar started but stopped.

She was hit by a sudden strong presence. Something evil was amongst them. Izar went into war mode just as a huge creature appeared right behind Chad. The creature was so massive and horribly ugly Izar had for a second lost her fighting spirit and fear consumed her. Amidst all of it's grotesque features one stood out prominent. It had a huge face that was bone white and looked like a skull. The monster let out a horrible laugh as it brought one of its huge hands down right on Chad's back.

Seeing Chad in trouble knocked the fear right out of Izar. Her mark started glowing again. Soon her whole entire body became outlined in her signature fiery, white starlight aura.

"Get away from him!!" she shouted at the beast waving her hand forward, releasing a blast of white energy from her aura.

The creature disappeared as quickly as it appeared, right before the attack could do its damage. With a sharp jolt of her arms downward Izar's powers turned off. All her attention then turned to Chad who was laying on the ground in pain. Yet to her amazement. He hadn't cried out or was he whining in pain. She saw he took everything in stoic silence. Just the way he had taken the beating that the other boys inflicted on him the day she first saw him.

'Oh my warrior boy'' she thought as she knelt down beside him. She found herself being slightly and inappropriately amused when she saw Chad still had a grip on the cockatiel's cage in his hand. She had forgotten about the bird for a moment. He had been very quiet for some reason.

"Chad?" she said worriedly.

"I'm fine." He said plainly.

"No you're not. That thing hurt you. You need to get help."

"What thing?" he asked.

From the confused look in his eyes she knew he was being serious about this.

"You couldn't see it?" she asked.

"I didn't see anything."

"Forget that right now. We need to get you help. Can you walk?"

"I might need to lean on you." He said.

"Fine, consider it done. C'mon on big guy."

Ichigo' POV

Ichigo found himself coming home to his father, Isshin and his younger sisters, Yuzu and Karin running around as they busily worked. His family owned a small medical clinic and sometimes they were very busy like tonight. Although he often wanted to he was often brushed aside when he wanted to help. Right now he was sitting in the hallway in the fetal position just staying out of the way. That's when he heard that terrible, anguished cry.

"HELP!! HELP!! Help us please!" the person's voice cried.

"Dad, come quick." He heard Karin call urgently.

Ichigo went running along with his father Isshin.

Going to the front of the clinic Ichigo saw Izar half carrying and half dragging the body of Chad.

"Izar? Chad?" Ichigo gasped.

"Please help, they turned us away at the hospital because there wasn't enough rooms." She said her voice shaky and hoarse, like she had spent the last hour screaming at somebody, "He passed out on the way here and I had to try to carry him. I can't do it anymore he's too big for me." Her voice started cracking but she looked determined not to cry.

As she spoke Karin and Yuzu went to help Izar with her heavy load. Just then Ichigo saw to his horror that Chad, even semi-conscious, was still holding the cage with the white cockatiel inside it. Isshin went over and took over the load that was Chad.

"Ichigo, come here and get to work." Isshin ordered.

"You bet." Ichigo said uneasily going to help his dad.

Ichigo noticed that Karin was eyeing the cockatiel also as he passed her.

'There's something with that bird.' He though angrily.

A few moments later Chad was awoke and sitting in Isshin's office. Ichigo was sitting in a chair that was next to Izar who held the bird's cage in her lap. Periodically Ichigo stole glances at her out the corner f his eyes. Her face was a mixture of emotions. He saw fear, anger, guilt, and more than anything sadness. He also saw she had a haunted look to her too. Her hair was covering her left eye again.

'Guess the make-up wore off or something.' He thought. Ichigo thought about how suspicious of Izar Rukia was. Rukia had said there was something odd, powerful, and possibly dangerous about Izar. From his earlier run-ins with her and the way she tossed Keigo around he knew she could fight, but he knew a lot of girls who could fight. Still there was something about her that made Ichigo suspicious. Could she be behind the bird and all the bad things happening to Chad. After all her and the bird did show up around the same time. Coincidence? Highly unlikely.

He stopped brainstorming about Izar and turned his attention back to Chad. He had taken his shirt off now and on his back was bloody mark that almost covered it. Ichigo noticed that it looked a lot like a hand print, only it had three claw like fingers and resembled a frog's.

"Whoa, what a horrible wound." Yuzu gasped behind Isshin, covering her mouth.

"So, what happened to you out there? This is a pretty nasty burn." Isshin said.

"Yeah, I wonder." Ichigo shot Izar a look, one she returned,

"What are you staring at me for? Tying to imply something?" she snapped viciously.

"But I think I can help you out." Isshin took a cotton swab and started to wipe at Chad's scarred back.

'I got this feeling.' Ichigo thought.

"With a wound like this you should take it easy." Isshin told Chad.

"That's fine." Chad said getting to his feet and throwing on his shirt. "I'm fine now. Thank you for helping me." He started to walk off leaving a stunned Isshin.

"Chad, what the hell are you doing?!" Izar scolded him, "Sit down!" she barked at him.

"You're crazy! Do you have any idea how much blood you lost son?" Isshin said in awe.

Before he could take another step Chad collapsed onto the floor, face down.

"Damn it, Chad!" Izar sobbed running to his side, finally letting the tears she was holding back out.

"See, I told ya." Isshin said in something of an even and smug tone.

Ichigo felt bad when he saw that Izar was crying. How could think she would do something to Chad. The girl obviously cared about him. So what was it that was happening to Chad?

"Yuzu, Karin, get a bed ready for him." Isshin instructed his daughters.

"Right." Karin said.

"Come along Mr. Giant."

Ichigo just stood there, deep in thought over what was plaguing his friend.

Izar's POV

Izar was standing in the doorway as she watched as Ichigo and his father hoisted Chad onto the bed. She was cradling the birdcage in her arms like it was an infant. It had meant something to Chad so it meant something to her.

'You're such a coward.' She thought angrily at herself, 'Why did you freeze up? You could have prevented this.'

"Hello there," she heard a little girl's voice say.

She looked at the pretty little brown haired girl in the nursing outfit beside her.

"Hi," she responded half heartedly.

"Your friend's going to be staying here for the night. You can go home and contact you…" she was saying.

"No," Izar said strongly, making her jump, "I'm going to stay here with him."

"Oh…okay." She said scurrying away.

Izar walked into the room and set the birdcage on the side table.

"Yu can go home now." Isshin told her.

"I already explained to your pretty little nurse that I'm staying here with him. I'll call my family in the morning to tell them where I was." Izar said strongly as she perched herself at the foot of Chad's bed.

Her and Isshin had a stare down for a few seconds. Isshin was the first to look away.

"Fine, if you wanna stay with your boyfriend, fine. I won't stop you." Isshin said going to leave.

"He's not my boyfriend." Izar said blushing deeply.

"I don't know many girls who'd been the entire night watching over a guy she didn't have feelings for." Isshin said dismissively exiting the room.

Ichigo was right on his heels but stopped at the door to look back in on her and Chad before leaving, too.

The minute he was gone Izar looked at Chad who was laying on his stomach, his face towards the headboard, "Chad, are you woke now?"

"Yeah," he answered.

"Move over some. I'm laying down, too." She said kicking off her sneakers and taking off her stockings and rolling them up.

She heard Chad make a noise of surprise as she lifted the sheets and wedged herself onto the bed beside him. Then she took his arm and draped it across her midsection.

"How's your back? Still hurts?" she asked, stroking his warm arm with her hand.

Chad only grunted in response.

"I guess you don't like hospitals, huh?" she asked smiling, then her smile faded, "Chad, I'm sorry about this."

"Sorry about what?" he said turning away from the head board to look at her.

"I could have stopped this from happening. I blame myself for what happened to you. Bad stuff didn't start happening until I came. I knew being around you would only put you in danger. It was only a matter of time. That's I left in the first place."

At that Chad put his fingertips on her lips, silencing her.

"Don't blame yourself. It's not you." He said soothingly. "I don't want you feeling bad about what happened. You did help me by scaring whatever it was away, otherwise I might have been killed."

Izar snorted disbelievingly.

"Izar,"

"Huh?"

"You better not leave again. Don't forget I can find you this time. I know now you left to protect me but I can handle myself and you can stand up to whatever threat arises. You just have to believe you can do it. I do, and I'm pretty sure that Akiko and Kenji do too."

Izar inhaled and exhaled deeply. She had forgotten about them. They were in danger too if Chad got attacked, but Chad said he believed she could protect them. She just had to believe it too.

_"You were always too hard on yourself, Cellie." _Cyrus's bright and happy voice rang through her head.

This made Izar's heart stop. Did she really just hear him or had she imagined that?

'Cyrus? Solar Wing, is that you?' she thought.

"_Remember, it's Cyrus here, and yes it is me. I'm using my imprint finally to see how you're doing. I got a little nervous because my mark stopped glowing and I thought you forgot about me."_

'Can you see me?'

_"No, my imprints pretty weak right now so I can only speak through telepathy. But I can hear you talking to someone. So who's the guy?"_

'A friend of mine's that got hurt, and you were eavesdropping you rat!'

_"Well, he has a point. If you wanna stay then stay, and just knock out anybody who threatens the ones you care about. Don't tell me my Scrappy lost her fight?_

'No, I didn't. I just needed to get it back, that's all.' She thought happily, 'Thanks Cyrus.'

_"No problem, and another thing. The reason my imprint wasn't working for you was because I was actually blocking it. I don't want you to find me."_

'Why not?!' she thought angrily. 'What about Thoth and what's going on with him?'

_"I want to handle that. You just safe until then, when I'm ready I'll come find you. Love you, Scrappy." _His voice started fading away.

So Cyrus didn't want her to find him. Then what was all the clues and such for? She didn't understand what just happened but she was happy that she finally heard from Cyrus after so long. She looked over to see Chad was asleep during her mental talk with Cyrus. She started tapping the arm that was across her.

"Chad," she whispered, "Chad, wake up."

He stirred awake, "Huh?"

"I just heard from Cyrus, my friend. He just used his imprint to talk to me." She told him happily.

"Really?" Chad said perking up a little, "What did he say?"

"He gave me some advice and told me not to look for him anymore. He said stay safe and protect those around me until he comes find me."

"Are you going to listen?"

"I still want to know where he is. So I guess I'll still look but I guess I'll wait for him to get me." She admitted.

Yeah, she was still going to look for him, but she wouldn't go after him when she found his whereabouts. Despite not liking what they told her she always listened to Solar Wing and Lunar Wing. So now would be no different. She rolled onto her side, facing the birdcage on the table. Yuuichi was looking at her funny. It was as if the bird was looking at her apologetically.

"Chad?" she said.

He made a noise that meant he was still awake.

"Is it me or is the bird looking like it's feeling sorry for us?" she felt movement behind her meaning that Chad was taking a look.

"No, it's not you." He replied.

********************************************************************************************************************

So Cyrus finally talking to Izar, good enough twist there? Next Chapter is where the showdown with the hollow begins and where Ichigo's and Rukia's fears are finally realized.


	10. Chapter 10

Yeah, Chad and Izar are about to show their stuff. It's on Mr. Hollow, prepare to be faced with tons of monstrous strength and the girl with the power of a supernova.

**Disclaimer: **I don't ownBleach. I only own Izar, Cyrus, and Thoth.

********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Ten: Take Down the Hollow

Izar went to sleep with Chad's arm across her. She fell asleep listening to him breathing, remembering the words he spoke to her earlier.

_"You can stand up to whatever threat arises. You just have to believe you can do it. I do."_

'Thanks for believing in me, Chad.' She thought as she had drifted off to sleep.

She awoke to a soft nudge of her shoulder.

"Izar." She heard Chad call her, "Izar, wake up please."

Izar groggily sat up and rubbed her eyes, "Yeah?"

"We have to leave. Come on," he told her buttoning up his shirt and grabbing the cockatiel cage.

"Chad, you are in no condition to be up and about right now." Izar said her face set.

"Izar, please. Just come with me." Chad said pleadingly, "I need you."

Izar's heart fluttered at him saying that. He needed her. That was all the ammo she needed to follow him without any more questions. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, put on her sneakers, and jumped to her feet.

"So, why are we sneaking out of the clinic and not staying?" she asked as Chad opened the window.

"We have to solve this cockatiel thing once and for all." Chad said determinedly. "Get on my back."

"What?!" Izar, cried in shock, "There's no way I'm doing that with your back in the condition that it's in."

"Fine, I'll jump out and I'll catch you when you jump." He said.

"No, I'll jump on my own." Izar told him strongly, passing him to get into the window with her back to the outside.

She let go of the edges and let herself fall towards the ground. Twisting herself she landed on her feet and popped straight up. Chad had landed right in front of her. A few inches over and he would have landed right on her.

"Aiming for me, Chad?" she asked a little irritated.

"Come on, let's go." He said running off.

"Damn it, Chad. You shouldn't be running." Izar nagged, running after him.

The twosome kept running until they came back to the construction site where she had first bumped into Chad again.

"You're really nice Mister. But I need to apologize and make you understand something. Every person who has owned me has had bad luck." Yuuichi told them repentantly.

"So that explains a lot." Izar said in between breaths.

"I know." Chad said evenly.

"You knew, and yet you still took it with you." Izar said not believing how kind he was.

"Yeah," Chad started into the run down warehouse on the site.

"I'm sorry, I should have told you. It's not…"

"Don't worry about it." Chad cut off his apologetic tirade.

"So please forgive Mister and abandon me. Just leave me here and go away." Yuuichi kept on.

"No, I can't do that to you." Chad told the little bird who looked very worried, sad, and guilty.

Izar was so touched at Chad's endless compassion.

"What about you Miss?" Yuuichi said turning his sad bird face to Izar. "You would leave me, right?"

"No, of course not." Izar said indignantly. "Believe it or not I was in your shoes not too long ago with thinking I bound to bring bad luck to whoever took me in, but I was told by a very nice guy, this one to be exact," she pointed o Chad, "That I shouldn't take the easy way out. If you like the person you think you're going to bring harm to then you just have to protect them. Simple." She looked up at Chad and smiled.

He returned the smile with a warm look in his eyes.

"You're very nice too. Miss, but I know you're only doing this so you can watch over Mister."

Izar felt her face heat up from embarrassment. The second time in less than twenty four hours her feelings towards Chad were put in her face. This time by a bird.

"Well, yes. I do care for Chad." She said shakily, "But I care about you, too. You're just so cute." She gushed at him.

Chad walked over to take a seat under a battered window off in the distance. Izar followed but didn't sit on the floor with Chad. She still had the dumb skirt on and she wasn't used to sitting down and worrying about whether her underwear was showing or not.

"What are we doing Chad?" she asked.

"I think we somehow ditched him." He said simply.

"Ditched who?" Izar wondered but somehow she felt she already knew the answer.

An image flashed through her mind of the horrible skull faced beast that they had encountered.

"Listen you two, you're in danger here." Yuuichi warned.

"Don't worry about it. We'll be fine. Besides I think I'm sturdy enough to handle this." Chad said with a cocky smirk that Izar found irresistible.

"You sure about that big guy? Sounding a little cocky there." Izar snorted, trying to hide how handsome she was finding him just then.

Chad's face came to life then. This was the most animated Izar had ever seen Chad. His eyes that were wide now looked up towards the ceiling. A creaking sound caused her to look up too seeing the monster coming down from the ceiling at them.

"Izar, move!" Chad shouted cradling the cage to his chest and bolting to his feet.

Quickly Izar jumped backwards as Chad jumped forward. The beast landed with a huge thud that sent dust and debris flying everywhere. Izar spun around and caught up with Chad who was now heading for a window. The two of them broke through and landed outside. They both got back onto their feet and started running off with the creature in hot pursuit. While they ran the twosome came upon Ichigo and Rukia. Izar came to a slight stop when she caught sight of them, but Chad took her hand quickly and continued running.

"Hey!" Ichigo called to them, "Stop running away from us."

"Keep going." Chad ordered.

"Alright." Izar nodded still running.

The two kept on running. After a while Izar heard the sound of somebody else giving chase. She turned her head to see Rukia chasing after them. She had to give her an 'e' for effort but she knew from her pace there was just no way was she going to catch her. That's when she saw Rukia stop running. Appearing right behind her was the huge skull faced monster. Izar let out a gasp and tried to pull her hand free from Chad, but he was so much stronger than her physically. He only stopped running when they had rounded a corner.

"Chad, we have to go back. That Rukia girl's in trouble." Izar said fiercely.

"What happened?" he asked.

"He's attacking her. The young woman who was chasing us, he's going to eat her soul all up." Yuuichi said sorrowful.

"See?" Izar cried pointing her hand at the bird.

"Alright." Chad nodded putting the bird and its cage on the ground.

"Wait Mister and Miss. He's very bad and will eat you all up. I don't want anything to happen to you. You're both very nice people." Yuuichi begged.

"Don't worry about us, little guy." Izar assured the bird.

"Yeah, it'll be fine." Chad placed the cage on top of a wall they were standing in front of.

"Okay, let's go." Izar said going to run but Chad put an arm in front of her. "Huh?"

"Stay here," Chad ordered.

"Oh bull crap!" Izar snapped.

"I'll handle this myself. You stay back here and protect Yuuichi."

"But…"Izar whined.

"Listen to me, please." Chad had pleaded with her.

She couldn't disobey him with him using that tone. With her face tightened with bottled up annoyance at Chad's sudden protectiveness Izar put her head down and said through gritted teeth, "Okay, I'll stay," She said defeated.

Chad gave her a reassuring smile before running off. Yuuichi went on a high pitched tirade begging and pleading for Chad to come back. Izar took her fist and drove it hard into the wall with the bird. The blow caused a huge crater in the wall and knocked the cage from its perch atop it. Yuuichi's cage toppled forward but Izar simply held out her hands and caught it, no sweat.

"C'mon Yuuichi." She said to the bird determinedly, "I'll be damned if I sit this out." With that she started running after Chad.

When she happened upon the scene she was just in time to catch Chad driving his fist hard into the side of the monster's face, the blow making a thunderous clash as it connected, knocking him sideways and away from Rukia.

"Wow," she gasped, "He knocked that big thing down. But I thought he couldn't even see it." She thought aloud.

"They're in danger." Yuuichi squealed, "They're going to be hurt."

"Not on my watch." She assured him, sticking a finger inside the cage and stroking his feathered head.

Just then she heard another thunder blow. Chad had knocked the monster down again with another mighty blow.

"My word," Izar gaped with both amazement and amusement, "I knew Chad was pretty amazing but his endurance and strength is beyond my expectations. That's really hot." Izar then made a face at what she just said, "I seriously just said that. Never again." she promised herself.

'Too much of that airhead girly girl TV shows.' She thought.

Izar saw the monster sprouted ugly, webbed wings from his arms and retreat into the air. He seemed as though he was preparing to launch an attack from the air.

"Okay, now I gotta step in." Izar narrowed her eyes and set the cage.

She looked up again to see Chad's next amazing feat. He had his big, strong arms wrapped around a utility pole. With a loud cry and a sharp tug upward Chad had broken the pole off from its stump and was wielding it like an oversized mallet. He took the pole and brought it down hard onto the monster, crushing him like a fly with a fly swatter. Izar found herself stuck. She really had nicknamed him appropriately as the warrior boy. Only there was nothing boyish about him now, he was all man.

"I guess he really didn't need my help." Izar thought watching as he and Rukia went to the battered monster's side.

Speaking way too soon the monster got back on it's feet just as Chad and Rukia were knocked and held on the ground by hideous little monsters that looked like deformed toads who had sprung from literally nowhere.

"Okay, that does it. I'm going in." Izar sparked up her powers. Her started glowing the brightest it ever did and she became outlined in her fiery white starlight aura, only this time it was shining brighter and rose above and around her like fire coming from her body, even her hair came to life as it started floating and flowing about her head. "C'mon, I need to be at full power."

As if to egg on her power growth even more Izar heard another cry from Chad.

"I'm coming Chad!" she shouted just as her four, iridescent black, star speckled wings sprouted from her back and ripped through her shirts.

"Time to kick some monster ass." She growled looking at her opponent who had at this point retreated back into the air.

"Wow Miss, you're beautiful." Yuuichi said in awe.

Izar turned her intense gaze to the little bird, "I'll be back, Yuuichi."

"The air is my specialty." Izar relished at the upper hand she just spotted, "You're going down, buddy."

She expanded her wings to their full length and with one mighty thrust downward she was thrust into the air like a torpedo or more along the lines of a shooting star, aiming right for the beast. Letting out a strong, powerful war cry she went in to take a shot at the monster.

Rukia's POV

Rukia found herself actually glad that Ichigo's giant friend, Chad showed up when he did. Without him she might have been a goner by now. His feats of strength were impressive and he seemed to have the hollow shook. If only he could actually see the thing. At first they appeared to be goners when the hollow summoned his small little minions to attack them and hold them down, but Chad had managed to use his brute strength to free himself and get Rukia back to her feet too. Now the hollow had retreated back into the air where he seemed untouchable but being the smart woman that she was Rukia quickly formed a plan.

Rukia was curled into a ball in Chad's arms as he aimed her at an enemy he couldn't see.

"Hey new girl," Chad said, "If you ask me there are some problems with this plan." His usually stoic voice oozed with his skepticism.

"Don't worry, combining your brute strength with my intelligence is our best chance here." Rukia assured him.

"Well, you must be pretty smart because this seems really stupid to me." Chad countered a little sarcastically.

"You just let me do the thinking for both of us. I'll tell you where he is and you aim me." Rukia instructed.

Right when Chad was aiming her (but was having more than a little trouble doing so) Rukia eyes caught the sight of something beautiful beyond words. Heading towards the hollow as fast as a bullet was a ball of fiery white light that left an equally brilliant trail behind it. Focusing more closely Rukia saw that inside the ball was Izar, only this was nothing like the ordinary, oddly beautiful girl that she met yesterday at school. Now she was a warrior goddess that personified the beauty, strength, and power of a star. The beautiful, graphic, and intricately designed star mark on her left eye was glowing brightly, her face was focus, intense, and determined. Contrary to her spunky yet bright and friendly face from yesterday, and the four wings that looked like the sky at twilight, protruding from her back sealed the deal as Rukia uttered the words that had been on her lips since she first seen Izar and felt her raw, uncontrolled power.

"The Star Empyrean Angel." She gasped.

"Izar?" Chad said a little surprised.

They both watched as Izar drove a hard and fierce drop kick right into the hollows side. The blow sent him tumbling across the sky until his wings managed to catch the air and set him straight. Yet no sooner had he recovered from this Izar pounced on him again. This time grabbing his face, swinging him around, and tossing him up into the air. She flew up into the air to catch up with him. Once there Izar held her hands together and a blast shot from out of her hands. This sent him falling towards the ground where Rukia and Chad were still standing, frozen by Izar's amazing escapades as she tossed the hollow around like a toy.

Chad, move. He's falling towards us." Rukia ordered.

Chad got a better hold on Rukia and jumped back out of the way as the hollow crashed into the ground. Dirt stirred up everywhere. When it cleared Rukia saw the hollow had left a crater where it landed. She also saw standing there, with her back to them, at the edge of the crater was Izar.

'Damn she's fast.' Rukia thought.

Izar half turned her head so she could look over her shoulder at her and Chad.

"Chad, are you and Ichigo's girlfriend alright?" she asked, her voice seeping with power.

Rukia would have been awestruck by this girl before her if she didn't know that horror stories and tales of what this girl had done and was very capable of doing that surrounded her. That and the fact she was peeved that she called her 'Ichigo's girlfriend.' Seeing her in action herself she knew her thoughts yesterday were true.

"Izar, I told you to stay behind." Chad said taking a stern tone with her.

"Yeah, you two had everything under control alright." She said sarcastically, turning all the way around to face them, "Look, just let me handle this guy." She said arrogantly, "You two just stay back because I tend to get a little crazy when I use my powers."

"So I've heard." Rukia muttered smugly.

"What?!" Izar asked.

"Behind you." Rukia pointed, diverting Izar's attention to the hollow about to attack her from behind.

Izar cupped her hand up and thrust it forward sending a wave of a blast at him. It knocked him back a couple of yards, making him skid the rest of the way. Izar ran towards the monster. Rukia, jumped out of Chad's hold and followed her. She heard Chad following behind before he full on past her.

'She keeps this up she'll destroy it flat out.' She thought annoyed.

Soul Reapers never fully destroyed a hollow. That was the last thing they wanted done, they had to exorcise the spirit out of it first. She caught up with Izar just as she struck a stance, her aura was glowing to a blinding point as was her mark, her hair whipped wildly, and her wings were fully extended to their limits. A threatening stance that seemed to lead up to a big attack. Rukia knew any big attack this girl was probably packing would end this for sure.

"Izar, don't!" she shouted at the girl.

"Huh?" Chad said stunned, looking at Rukia questioningly.

"What?!" Izar cried spinning around to face Rukia, her powers subsiding slightly with her concentration broke.

"Don't destroy it! We need to exercise the soul out of it first." Rukia explained.

"That's stupid! What soul does this have?" Izar demanded.

The hollow had got his feet shakily. Izar must have sensed it because she turned her attention back to him and was preparing to get in another blow at him. The hollow produced one of it's many offspring from his shoulder. Speedily the little creature came at Izar's face. However, Izar was lucky and fast enough to dodge the thing. Rukia on the other hand wasn't so lucky and the thing spewed a disgusting substance from it's mouth, covering her. Rukia cried out as she hit the ground.

"Ew, what are these things? Leeches?" Rukia cried disgusted, trying to pry the purple, leech like creatures off her body to no avail.

"Rukia, you okay?" Izar said appearing at Rukia's side in a flash.

Chad came over to her side too.

The hollow got to it's feet and walked over standing only a few feet from them, laughing evilly.

"Exactly," he said.

"Those damn things talk?" Izar curled her lip up at the hideous monster in distaste. "Let's get these things off of you." She tried to pull the leeches off of Rukia.

"Try as you like, but they won't come off." The hollow jeered, "And you'll find out that they have a nasty habit of exploding!" as soon as he said that he stuck out his oddly shaped tongue that started vibrating wildly, sending out strange sound waves.

Him doing this caused the leeches on Rukia's body to burst open with the force and sound of a firecracker. Pain racked her entire body as she fell to the ground.

"Oh no, new girl!" Chad cried.

"Rukia!" Izar shouted. "What the hell kind of leeches are these?"

"You really don't know. They're remote leech bombs. Whenever I produce a certain frequency with my tongue thy explode on whatever they're attached to." He explained having a hearty laugh.

"Then how's about we just ripped out that tongue of yours." Izar growled.

Chad and Izar cast hateful and firm glares at the hollow. Falling into step beside each other they started to approach the laughing hollow.

"Hold on there, angel girl and tough guy!" the hollow held up its hands, "Before you two continue to wail on me mercilessly I got a little surprise for ya."

He moved aside to reveal the caged cockatiel being held by two of his little minions.

"Y…Yuuichi," Izar stammered in shock.

Chad's eyes went as wide as dinner plates

"The cockatiel. He's gonna use him as a hostage." Rukia thought out loud.

The little bird's head was hung low as he said sadly, "I'm so sorry. I tried to call for you."

"That's okay." Chad assured.

"Yeah, it's okay baby." Izar replied soothingly in a maternal tone. "I'm sorry I left you alone." She apologized.

"With these three leech bombs on him you'll all do what I say, because if I detonate any of those there won't enough of your friend left to spread on a cracker." He teased. "So with that settled let's play a new game. The muscle head and white angel girl stay put, while I play tag with the soul reaper."

Rukia stood to her feet valiantly, "Do as he says you two."

Chad and Izar looked at Rukia.

"Don't think for a second that he won't hurt the bird. At least if run I can take him away from here. So all of you can be safe." She explained.

"But what about you, new girl?" Chad asked concerned.

"I'll be fine. I can take care of myself." Rukia reassured.

"That's really cool of you, Rukia." Izar praised her with a big smile.

'This girl is so charming, it's hard to believe what I've heard about her. Yet that's what I heard is the first reaction felt towards her.' Rukia thought still sizing up Izar.

"I made a promise to someone. I'll be fine." Rukia said smirking.

"Good luck." Chad told her.

"Thanks." Rukia answered before finally running off the hollow and his little buddies on her tail.

Izar's POV

"This sucks." Izar complained turning off her powers. Her aura evaporated, her hair fell down to frame her face like always, her mark returned to normal, and her wings furled up until they disappeared, leaving two rips in the back of her uniform. "It's like fighting alongside Cyrus and Thoth again. I'd have to hang back and wait, while they went off and did all the work."

"I don't like standing aside either." Chad agreed, "But I hate risking the well being of another even more."

Izar could only smile at Chad's never ending supply of compassion and protectiveness.

"You're a really good guy, Chad."

"You're an amazing fighter. You were incredible." Chad admired.

"Me? How about you? I knew you were made of some strong stuff but you took it a step further." Izar gushed back. "But we can talk about how awesome the other is later. You think that thing's far enough from us yet? I'm want those things away from Yuuichi." She said seriously.

"Right, Yuuichi." Chad nodded.

He ran over to the cage and quickly batted the frog things aside. Chad picked up the cage and gave Izar a nod, "Let's go."

"Good." Izar and him took off running.

They stopped and turned a corner to see Rukia, bleeding, standing using a pole for support and Ichigo laying face down on the ground.

"Ichigo? What's wrong?" Chad asked worriedly, his expression one of distress at the sight of his best friend's current position.

"Is he dead?" Izar wondered.

Rukia turned around to them, "Don't worry about him. Just get that cockatiel out of here." She ordered.

'She's mighty bossy.' Izar though slightly irked.

"What's going on? What's with Ichigo?" Chad kept asking.

"Don't worry about him. Ichigo's fine. He's fighting to protect us all." She said with confidence. "Now you guys stay here, I'll go find Ichigo." She told them running off again.

"I swear we must look I must look like a dog or something because I'm always getting told to stay put." Izar said exasperated.

"You know you don't look like a dog." Chad told her, "You've more than done your part today. Now we just have to stand aside and let the others do there's."

"If you say so."

"Izar," Chad said coming over so he was standing really close to her.

"Yes?" she answered locking gazes with him.

"You told me last night you left to protect me. Today you saw for yourself I can fight for you. So will you let me?"

"Huh?" Izar said stupidly, feeling her heart beating faster.

"I asked will you let me protect you, instead of you wanting to protect me all the time. Even when you want to get in on the action yourself, which will probably be all the time, I'll still be right there beside you in the fight. So can I?" his eyes were so big and beautiful, having the most heart wrenching look of pleading in them.

"Yes, Chad. You can protect me from now on." Izar answered mesmerized.

"I also wanted to ask you not to leave Akiko and Kenji. You can protect them and not run away from them. You may not notice it but I saw from that one time I was there that Akiko really cares about you and I'm pretty sure her little boy does too. Don't break their hearts by leaving them, please." He finished but Izar felt there was more he wanted to say.

Especially in that last sentence. He was wrong, she did notice how attached to her Akiko and Kenji have gotten. She thought back to how much Kenji smiles when he's around her and how Akiko often says how she loves her when think Izar is out of earshot. She's noticed alright. All too well.

"You don't have to worry, Chad. I won't leave them." Izar said sitting on the ground by Ichigo's body and leaning her back against the wall.

All of a sudden she realized how tired she was. She could barely keep her eyes open. Chad sat down next to her, placing the birdcage on the other side. He must have sensed how tired she was because he gently took her head and placed it against him. She wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling into his shirt, letting out a soft moan loving his strong, warm body.

"I won't leave them, just like I won't leave you ever again." she promised before drifting off into a quiet nap.

Chad's POV

All Chad could do was stare at the beautiful girl resting against him. She was amazing beyond words. He kept thinking back to everything she had done just for him in the past hours. How she carried him to the clinic when he was hurt, how she wouldn't go home as long as she knew he was hurt. She jumped out of and through windows with him. She fought for him, she cared about the bird because he cared about it. She's done so much to make up for hurting him by leaving almost a year ago. He then thought back on how beautiful she was when she fought that hollow. Everything about her was strong, brilliant, and bright like star. Yet her physical form took on a dark and mysterious appearance like that of night. Last he remembered the last words she muttered before she fell asleep.

_"I won't leave you ever again." _

'I won't ever leave you, Izar. And from now on, I'll protect against everything, I'll protect you until I die.' He thought putting his arm around her and pulling her closer to him.

He loved how cool her body felt next to his. It felt just as good as it had last night when they slept in the same bed and Izar was stroking his arm that she had willingly draped across her.

"You love her don't you Mister?" he heard Yuuichi ask.

Chad looked at the little bird he had come to care about so much in the last couple of days. With a small smile he nodded.

"I hope you two are really happy together." He said, sounding the happiest he had all day.

"I hope so, too." Chad agreed.

He turned to stare at Izar again. His gaze turned towards the view that they had of Karakura Town from where they were. It was beautiful view, but nothing seemed as beautiful as Izar was to him anymore. Chad sat in silence with her bird companion until the sun had started to set off in the distance. Only then did Rukia come back along with Ichigo who was dressed in an outfit like that of a samurai's with a long, big sword. Chad saw the look on Rukia's face when she saw him and Izar cuddled up the way they were. She had not only one of disapproval but of slight distaste mostly aimed at Izar's sleeping figure.

'Why does Rukia always eye Izar like that?' he thought.

"Well, aren't we cozy?" Ichigo said smugly.

The sound of his voice cause Izar to stir and her eyes fluttered open. She unwrapped her arms from Chad and started stretching as Chad pulled his arm away.

"So I see you're back." Izar said looking from Ichigo to Rukia.

"Yes, we are." Rukia said flatly, "Chad, I need to see the bird."

He nodded and handed her the cage while standing to his feet. Rukia held her palm in front of the cage for a moment as the rest of them watched. A few minutes later she said grimly, "There's nothing I can do here. With his chain of fate severed I can't return his soul to his body."

"Oh no!" the bird cried sadly.

"Aw," Izar gushed.

"Yuuichi." Chad said, his heart sharing in the bird's sadness.

"Don't be afraid. The Soul Society is a wonderful place." Rukia said brightly, "You'll be hungry and you grow old. Actually it's a lot better than this place."

"So suddenly you're an expert on this world." Ichigo shot at Rukia.

A comment that left stumped for a witty comeback.

"You're forgetting the point that you'll finally be reunited with your mother." Ichigo told him softly.

Yuuichi perked up when he the mention of reuniting with his mother.

"We may not be able to bring her back, but she is waiting for you on the other side. This time we're telling you the truth."

With every word Yuuichi's face became brighter and happier. Yuuichi nodded and cast a look in Chad's direction.

"Mister Sado, Miss Chaosi, thank you both so much for everything. You carried me around with you everywhere, made sure I was safe, you even faced a horrible monster to protect me. Thank you so much."

"Don't even mention it." Chad said dismissively.

"Yeah Yuuichi, it was nothing." Izar assured him.

"Hey Yuuichi, when I die and pass on, too, you wouldn't mind if I still carried you around with me?"

As Chad was talking the spirit of the little boy appeared behind the birdcage in human form.

"Oh, he's such a handsome little boy." Izar smiled.

He smiled too and nodded his head yes to Chad's question.

"Well," Ichigo said, approaching the spirit, "If you're ready let get this consul done."

********************************************************************************************************************

Bye Yuuichi! (sniffle, sniffle) Well, that's the "The Cursed Cockatiel & Defeat the Invisible Enemy" episodes of Bleach with my character Izar in them. Now with this out of the way I can focus everything back onto Izar and her story. Believe me, it's going to get good! Does the words 'Lost friend showing up and providing some romantic mayhem' gets you excited?


	11. Chapter 11

First off, I'm very sorry about the long wait for the update but I was swamped with crap last week and really couldn't get around to typing. When I did I had other stuff to work on like my application for colleges I'm trying to attend in the fall, trying to find a job somewhere, not to mention trying to finish up on my own original story that I want to have published by the end of the year. So the Fanfic definitely had to be put on the back burner, but I hope this chapter more than makes up for it.

Secondly, I read back over my earlier chapters and I would like to apologize for grammatical errors on my part. It's that when I type I go a little too fast and end up making mistakes here and there. I will try to lessen these errors and type more slowly so I can spot these mistakes. Anyhow, this chapter I'm going to bring one of Izar's lost friends back into the picture. (I might bring in both depending how the story goes.) So just expect a lot of stuff with this chapter, including a long length. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I own Izar, Cyrus, Thoth and their stories. Everything else is Tite Kubo's.

*******************************************************************************************************

Chapter Eleven: Return

His eyes gazed down at the city underneath him as he hovered overhead. His wings glistened brilliantly in the early morning sunlight, bringing out the vibrant colors of his feathers.

"So you finally made it, huh Cellie?" he whispered to himself, scanning the streets that would have been impossible for someone else from that height to see, but he could see clearly. "Wonder if you bumped into my friend, Kisuke yet." He thought, then shrugged and with a big flap of his wings dived towards the city like a peregrine falcon.

"Here I come, girl." He shouted happily in his descent.

Izar's POV

It was a tearful reunion with Akiko and Kenji when Izar finally returned from her adventure with Chad and his cursed cockatiel. The moment Izar opened the door and kicked off her shoes she was tackled by the weeping Akiko and Kenji who came speeding around the corner to throw their arms around her.

"Oh Izar," Akiko sniffled, "Where did you go? I was so afraid something had happened to you."

"We thought you left us and wasn't going to come back ever again." Kenji sobbed having her in a death grip like he was determined to keep her from moving.

"What were you doing that you couldn't have at least checked in?" Akiko pulled away so her and Izar were facing each other.

"Chad and I got caught up in some serious stuff. He had gotten himself hurt and I wanted to stay with him until we had everything under control." inside Izar felt good knowing that Akiko and Kenji were so fond of her as to get so upset over her short absence. Chad was right, Akiko and Kenji did believe in her just like him.

"Serious stuff?" Akiko asked drying her eyes with the back of her hand, "What kind of serious stuff?"

"We had a run-in with a monster." She answered simply.

"A monster?! Cool! Did you kick its butt, huh?" Kenji said perking up in an instant and going into hyperactive action carton watching nine year old mode.

"Yeah, we handled it, along with some of his other friends that seem to have powers, too. So don't worry." Izar reassured.

"But what about you? Are you going to leave because this was what you were frightened was going to happen?" Akiko had asked her sadness apparent at the thought of Izar's departure.

"No, I'm not." Izar smiled reassuringly. "I learned that protecting the ones I care about doesn't mean running from the problem. It means standing by them and fighting whatever comes their way."

"So you're staying?" Kenji asked brightly.

"Yes, I'm staying." Izar smiled.

"Awesome!" he said leaping up into her arms.

Izar was lucky enough to catch him and burst into laughter.

"Okay that's enough, Kenji." Akiko said smacking her son as a way of saying get down, but she was laughing, too.

"Now you young lady, you look a mess. Your uniform's ripped and you're filthy. Go upstairs and get yourself cleaned up." Akiko ordered her turning into her maternal mode.

"Yes, ma'am." Izar said running up the stairs.

That evening the twosome known as Izar and Kenji were sitting in the living room doing what they do best; playing videogames. Kenji had just looked up some cheat codes and walkthroughs on the internet and the two of them were making short work of the parts in their games where they were once absolutely baffled. Izar was cruising through her RPG with Kenji assisting her by reading the printed out information he had.

"Okay, where to next?" she asked after sealing the keyhole to the world with her brunette keyblade wielder.

"Off to 'The World that Never Was'." Kenji instructed her.

"I'm almost at the end, huh?" Izar smiled finding a little green save point and picking the option of "World Map" on the screen.

"Yep," Kenji agreed staring at the screen now, "But you might want to go fill up on supplies first."

"Right." Izar agreed.

Just then the doorbell rang.

"Could you get that, Izar? I'm kind of busy right now." Akiko called from her study.

"Okay," Izar called back. She handed Kenji the controller, "Hook me up in the supply department. I'll be right back."

She got up and jogged to the front door. Opening it she saw Chad standing there, an aura of nervousness on his face. Along with his usual attire Chad had a carrying case for a guitar slung over his shoulder.

"Hiya Chad," Izar greeted with a smile.

"Hi, may I come in?" he asked politely.

"Sure." Izar stepped aside to let him in.

Chad took off his shoes at the door and continued to walk in. Closing the door behind them Izar went to Chad's side.

"C'mon, we're in here." She said taking his arm and leading him into the living room.

Kenji was stocking up on supplies at the shop just as Izar had instructed him to. Izar sat next to him on the floor in front of the TV. She turned to Chad who was still standing up, scanning the living room. When he looked at her she smiled and patted the spot next to her. Chad nodded, putting his guitar on the floor he sat next to her.

"Give me back the joystick." She told Kenji giving his arm a tap. While he handed her the joystick she introduced the two of them, "Kenji, this is Yasutora, but you can call him Chad. He's a friend of mine's from school. Chad, this is Kenji, the boy I've told you about."

"Hey," Kenji greeted brightly.

Chad held up his hand in a wave.

"So Chad what brings you here?" Izar asked as she was equipping her characters with upgraded weapons and trinkets that would help them in battle.

"Nothing, just wanted to see how you were doing." Chad replied stoically watching her play the game.

"Me, well I'm fine." She assured, "What about you? How's your back and everything?" she gazed up at him. Even sitting down he was so much taller than her.

"It's fine. Better than it was."

He met her gaze with his. For the moment she found herself having a hard time tearing her eyes away from his soft mocha brown ones.

"Izar, watch out!" Kenji cried pointing at the screen.

Izar looked at the screen just in time to get ambushed by a figure in black.

"Oh, crap." She cried smashing the buttons on the joystick.

After a few minutes of her smashing away at buttons and Kenji shouting commands and strategies at her she was finally bested as the game over screen popped up with the hero floating in a dark secluded place.

"Fudge." She pouted, "Wanna give it a try?" she asked Chad handing him the controller.

"Oh no, I'm fine. I'm not really a videogame person." Chad waved off.

"Yeah, you're more of a musician, huh?" she eyed the guitar case behind him.

Chad nodded looking at the guitar too.

"Can I hear you play, Chad?" Kenji asked eagerly.

"Yeah, play a song for us, Chad." Izar mocked Kenji's eagerness, even clapping her hands playfully.

A tiny blush came across his face. Izar found that so cute.

"Okay, I'll play you something." He finally agreed.

Kenji cut off the game system while Izar watched Chad get his guitar out of its case. He took a seat on the couch with Izar next to him. Kenji sat on the floor in front of them just when Chad struck the first few chords on the guitar. Once his warm up with the chords were over he went right into playing. He made the instrument sound so beautifully and elegant. It was a haunting melody that sent the ears and mind on a journey, it started out slowly and sad but as it neared the end it became light and happier. Finally with a few more elongated strums of his strings he finished off his song.

"That was beautiful." Izar gasped looking up into his eyes.

He was staring back into hers, "Thanks."

"Hey, can you teach me to play?" Kenji asked excitedly, making the two of them break their locked gazes.

Chad seemed a little shocked at Kenji's interest, "Um…maybe some other time."

"Oh, okay." Kenji said a little disappointed but he smiled anyway.

"Kenji! It's getting late. Start getting ready for bed." Akiko called from the study.

"Alright mom." Kenji called back a little irately, getting to his feet, and scurrying out of the room.

As soon as he was gone Izar gave Chad an impish glare, "Now tell me why you really came over?" she asked with a smirk.

"I wanted to talk to you." Chad told her.

"About what?"

"Anything. I was just a little lonely is all." He said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Oh, I guess you would be lonely considering you live by yourself and you must be missing Yuuichi. I know I do." She admitted with a soft smile.

"He's better off and happier where he is now."

"Yeah, you're right." Izar admitted sadly. She had to admit she was growing used to Chad's talking feathered friend, "Wanna go for a walk?" she suggested to him.

At his slightly amused expression Izar went on to say, "I know it's kinda late but I like taking walks at night. If we stay here all we can do is surf the internet, which I heard on TV is ninety-seven percent pornographic material, or we can watch TV. Admittedly outside of a few shows here and there I'm not really a big TV person." Izar explained.

Chad's lips turned up at the corners in a small smile, "I agree. TV and the internet isn't my thing either."

Izar smiled too, "Great, I'll just fetch my jacket and tell Akiko we're going out."

Once doing just that was done the duo was soon out on the evening streets. Even as the sun was setting the city was still abuzz with civilians going to and fro. Chad and Izar were somewhat blended in with everyone else as they neared the park that they were heading for. As they neared it the crowd had sparse out to only the two of them again.

"So the internet and TV aren't your thing. Music's more your style. I think that is very suiting as you are very good at it." Izar said smiling up at Chad.

"Thanks, you really liked hearing me play?" Chad had asked her with a hopeful smile of his own.

"I loved it actually."

"That's good because I actually wrote that song for you."

Izar stopped walking and stared at Chad. His face had turned a little red in his cheeks and he lowered his head some so his hair covered up the top portion of his face and his eyes. Izar felt her heart flutter a little at what he had just said. That beautiful piece he had played earlier was for her?

"You wrote it for me?" she asked, feeling her mouth form a big, goofy smile revealing how flattered she was.

Chad only nodded going redder in the face.

"Don't be shy about it. That's really cool. Can you explain to me how it was about me?" she asked taking a seat on the on the curb of the pavement.

Chad slowly sat down next to her, after reaching in his pocket and pulling out a piece of paper. Without looking her in the face he handed it to her. She took it with a small smile, "Can you play your song again while I read please?" she asked sweetly.

Chad sighed deeply. He reached up and took his guitar case off of his back. Once his guitar was situated in his lap and he had strummed his strings for a warm up. He started strumming just as beautifully and elegantly as before. While he played Izar read the paper with the lyrics on it, trying to sync up the words with the tempo and rhythm of Chad's guitar. With each verse she felt her heart melting away. Written on the paper was the story of her and Chad. From the first time he saw her to the second time when she first talked to the time he brought her home and shared, what he called an extraordinary night with her. She noticed that in the first part of the song it was sad and slow it was fitting the tone of how sad and lonely he had felt after he awoke that morning to find she had left him without word. Making as if he had dreamed her up that whole time. Towards the end as the melody became happier and light it was how happy he was when he finally found her again after all this time. How when they were reunited she had promised she would never ever leave him again. Chad finished playing and for the first time he looked at Izar who was staring back at him.

"Why'd you write this?" she asked stiffly, feeling welled up with emotions she couldn't really describe or muster to express right now.

Chad shrugged then said simply, "Was just thinking about you at the time. It sort of popped into my head." He set his guitar in its case placed on the ground in front of him.

"It was beautiful, thank you." Izar sighed with a smile.

"You're more than welcome." Chad said softly.

"What's more then welcome?" Izar asked with a smirk.

Chad didn't answer right away. Izar looked at him more closely, his stare was on her intently. It looked like he was having an inner conflict within himself. As if he was deciding whether to go through with something or not.

"Chad?" she asked a little more slowly and nervously.

"To answer your question of what more than welcome is…" he said softly, leaning in more towards her face.

He brushed her bangs out of her face to expose her mark that she didn't bother covering with concealer when she came out the house tonight. Izar felt herself get breathless feeling his warm touch against her face.

"I think this should say enough." He finally finished as he pressed his lips softly against her marked eye just as she closed it.

Her breathing became more labored and fast at his kiss. Hold on, she didn't want this to happen yet. She hadn't even sorted out how deeply she felt for him yet. Yeah, she knew she liked him, more than liked him. She cared about him so much. In a short time he became as valuable to her as a precious stone to a jewelry collector, but did she really want to have a romantic relationship right now? Of course not, she couldn't afford such a thing as this. She still had something very important for her to do and after everything that had elapsed in the last few hours she still couldn't help but feel that being with Chad would make everything much more difficult for him or give him grief. She couldn't let this happen, not at all.

He had pulled only a few inches away from her face and stayed away for awhile before he slowly started to go in again. This time aiming for her lips but she put her hand on his chest as a signal for him to stop.

"Hold on," she breathed heavily, him being so close right now made her whole face feel flushed and hot.

"I'm sorry." Chad said shakily and nervously, quickly pulling back from her.

He snapped his guitar case closed, put it on his back, and stood staring red-faced down at Izar who was still sitting on the curb. Izar quickly scrambled to her feet, too.

"Chad…" she started.

"I'm really sorry about that." Chad apologized again, "Please, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just…caught up in the moment." He said rapidly, it was the fastest Izar had ever heard him spoke since she met him.

"Chad, I'm not upset or anything." Izar tried to soothe.

"I have to go. See you in school tomorrow." With that he made a hasty retreat away from her.

"Chad! Chad! Come back, there's a reason I stopped you." She called after him. "Oh no." she went to chase after him but someone speaking had stopped her.

"Aw, boyfriend left you all high and dry." Said a soft and sly sounding voice that dragged and whistled and slithered on its words. It was the voice that would befit a snake if they could talk

"Don't feel too bad, statistically young love never last nowadays." Said another voice. This one was as stoic and lifeless as they came. It lacked all sorts of emotions, vigor, and life in general. It was a voice only a robot could be envious of.

"Shut up! Mind your own…" Izar had started to snap but stopped when she turned to look at the ones who had spoken.

Standing away from her was a tall, lean woman with long silvery white hair that cascaded down her back in a shiny curtain. Her skin was pale, almost white, and positively flawless with equally white skin tight clothing that matched her complexion making it appear as if she had no clothing on at all. She was bare foot and Izar saw that her feet were barely touching the ground, she walked on the very tips of her big toes without fault like this was something normal for her to do. Her eyes were the color of silver that faded into a blazing white near her dark gray pupils, and just like her voice her face held no sign of life or expression. It was completely blank.

Her companion was a peculiar creature with a humanoid build. Though his body was the same dark color of the night sky overhead but it was surrounded in a bright blue aura. It had a prominent hunch to its back, long, snake like arms, short, stout legs, and its head held no features outside of its diamond shaped head, and blazing white almond shaped eyes.

"Who are you?" she demanded breathlessly.

"Our orders do not state we are entitled to introduce ourselves." The lifeless white maiden said.

"We are however entitled to retrieve you and bring you back to our master at once. So you can either come quietly." Said the creature with the voice that matched his peculiar appearance.

"Or we shall take you there by force." The white maiden finished.

"Okay," Izar dragged out through clenched teeth allowing her powers to kick in, her marked eye glowing brightly, her hair billowing about her wildly, and her body becoming enshrouded in fiery white starlight aura that pulsated off of her like smoke, "You guys picked a really bad time to bother me."

To show them how pissed she was for them showing up when they did right then Izar let out a loud, angry war cry just as her wings burst from out of her back, ripping gaping holes into the shirt and jacket she was wearing. In response to her the white maiden unfurled wings of her own. Yet unlike Izar's four black white speckled wings she had simply two that were silvery white, but seemed much longer, thinner, and elegant than Izar's.

"We'd figured you want it the hard way." The maiden said lifelessly also producing a white, ivory carved long bow and arrow that simply materialized in her hands already in the firing position, aimed right for Izar.

"Remember, don't kill her or hurt her too badly." Warned the creature who also took a crouching position at her side, "Master wants her in good shape when we bring her back."

"Bring it!" Izar taunted.

The duo complied with her taunt, launching a simultaneous attack on her. The creature bolted towards her like a jet as the white maiden shot one of her ivory arrows right at her. Izar watched as the arrow swept by the creature. She caught the arrow in her hand just as it was within inches of going through her face. The creature leapt towards her with one of its long arms raised for a blow. She had turned the arrow around in her hand so the point was facing him but a figure appearing in front of her caused her to quickly retract the arrow. With a thunderous roar echoing from his mouth Chad had punched the creature on top of its head, sending it crashing into the ground in front of him, making a crater.

"Chad?" Izar cried in surprise.

"Izar, are you alright?" he asked turning his head to face her.

Izar didn't have time to answer him. She peeked around his hulking figure to see the white maiden fire off a whole round of ivory arrows at them. She quickly stepped around Chad to stand in front of him. When the arrow was within reaching distance of them Izar waved her hand out in front of them causing a fiery white wall to shield them and vaporize the arrows. Izar dropped the wall from in front of them.

"Your resistance is futile. Give up while you still can." The white maiden warned lifelessly preparing another arrow.

"Put down that bow and come over here and say it." Izar taunted the woman.

The white maiden lowered her bow slowly, her face still had its blank, stoic stare on it but underneath that façade was a look of consideration on it, "Very well then. I must warn you it is much easier for the opponent when I use my arrows rather than my fists."

"Come over here and show me then." Izar mocked.

The moment Izar had finished her sentence the maiden had crept up behind her and Chad. She sent Chad flying off into one direction with a powerful thrust kick to his back. Then she pounced on Izar, grabbing her face in her hands, lifting her off of the ground, then thrusting her body on top of Izar's, using her weight, which had suddenly increased dramatically, to send Izar crashing into the ground. She hopped off of Izar, leaving her to wallow in the pain she had just inflicted onto her. Izar felt as if her stomach had just burst open and flew out of her back. She turned on her side, dry heaving, feeling as if everything in her stomach was going to come up in a wave of vomit.

"Izar!" she heard Chad cry for her.

She looked over at him. He was racing towards her but he was cut off by the creature appearing from absolutely nowhere and tackling him to the ground. Impulsively Izar shot a blast towards them but the creature and Chad rolled out of the way to avoid getting hit. Chad went to drive his fist into the creature but it dodged his attack. It countered by swinging his arm backward, hitting Chad so hard that spittle flew from his mouth. Izar unsteadily got to her feet but staying on them became the challenge. Her legs kept wobbling and her stomach just wasn't staying put. Izar sensed her before it even happened. The white maiden materialized behind her and went in for a jab at the back of Izar's head. Quickly whipping around she knocked the maiden away by smacking her with both of her left wings. The maiden went sailing through the air yet slid to a stop, then furled out her delicate wings to bring her to a stop in mid-flight. Once she was stopped she came charging at Izar. Izar reciprocated with a charge of her own. When they collided it was in an explosion of fiery white light that Izar pulsated off of her strongly that sent the maiden skidding backwards. Izar turned her attention to Chad who was having a showdown himself with the diamond headed being. Chad was strong but the creature was fast and kept doing a trick where he seemed to be disappearing act. One minute he was there the next he would vanish leaving a bewildered Chad. Suddenly he would materialize and deliver a harsh blow to the unsuspecting gentle giant. Izar would have gone to help if the white maiden hadn't recovered so quickly and took advantage of her distracted state at the moment by crashing her body into Izar from behind. Izar went tumbling forward, only coming to a stop when she ran out of room from hitting a lamppost hard. The collision knocked the air out of her lungs. She started gaping mouthfuls of air to put back into her heaving chest.

This was getting bad, she had never been in a fight like this before. Every fight she was ever in it was always one sided on her part. She can't recall a fight where her opponent had managed to get a hit in on her. What was going on here was becoming too much to handle. The maiden appeared at her side, glaring down at her blankly as she reared back her foot and went in for a kick to Izar's side. However Izar caught her foot with her hand and twisted it hard and turned her body so the woman went falling towards the ground landing on her back. In a flash Izar got back onto her feet, making sure she got some payback on the woman by stomping her stomach in, before rushing over to the area where Chad and the creature did battle. From what she saw the creature was clearly winning this fight. It was overwhelming Chad with its constant popping up here and there, then striking him once his guard was dropped.

"Chad, behind you!" she called as she ran towards him.

Chad obeyed her, swinging around and catching the creature right in the face with his fist. He went skidding across the pavement away from him. Chad looked at Izar and she noticed how his eyes had gotten wide at something.

"Izar!" he shouted just as a pain ripped through Izar's upper right wing.

Izar cried out in pain reaching for her injured wing to see what happened. Her hand closed around a thin, tubular object. With gritted teeth she pulled the arrow quickly from her wing and cried out again in agony. The pain was so searing that her already weak knees gave out as she collapsed to the ground. She heard Chad call out her name again, this time he was running towards her. When he had neared her she noticed that he wasn't going to stop. Instead he stepped over her and took a protective stance above and in front of her. In minutes there was a small noise, like something cutting through the air fast, followed by Chad letting out a noticeable exhale of breath. Izar looked at Chad to see his body go entirely rigid. In the next second he started falling backwards towards her. She maneuvered herself so that he wouldn't fall on her but his head would fall into her lap. Her heart had jolted when she saw the arrow sticking out of Chad's chest.

"NO!" she cried cradling his head with her hands.

Chad's hair had fallen back from his face revealing all the features that his hair had hidden before, and the bruises that were forming from the creatures blows from earlier. Especially his brown eyes that were staring up at her face, trying to cover up the pain that he was obviously in right at the moment.

"Izar," he breathed softly.

She looked up to see the white maiden float heavenly over towards her with a simple thrust of her wings. The creature joined her at her side like a faithful hound. The maiden had her bow at her side but there was already an arrow balanced delicately between her fingers in case she had to fire off another round.

"I warned you that resistance would be futile. If you wish to continue then we will engage until you give in." the maiden had said with that annoying tone of hers.

"Your little boyfriend doesn't look so good. If you don't want him hurt any further you might as well just come quietly." Slithered the creature.

Izar looked down at Chad's face, feeling the back of her eyes stinging and her vision blurred. His breathing was a little faster and his eyes appeared tight and drawn at the corners. He was obviously trying to hold the pain in. Was this how his eyes looked that day she first saw him? From her position she saw his face was stoic and blank. Much like it appeared now, but this close to his face she could see that maybe his eyes told the story of the pain he actually did feel but he always hid it. Was that it? Either way she didn't see him any less of a warrior than she did that day. If anything he was more warrior and hero like now than ever.

"Chad…" she choked out.

"What is your decision Celestial Wing?" the maiden asked her.

'Celestial Wing? How do they know that?" she thought to herself, 'They said someone sent them, right? Could it have been…'

"Izar," Chad's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Chad, this is why I stopped you from kissing me." She said softly so only he could hear her, "I knew my life would only come back to haunt me and if we get any closer things like this will keep happening to you. I don't want you hurt."

"Please don't go with them. I'm fine, just in shock a little. I'll be fine, it's not even in that deep." Chad started pleading to Izar.

He had already sensed what Izar was leading up to. She knew she couldn't keep fighting them off. She stared up at the maiden and the creature over her. She swallowed hard over the lump that formed in her throat.

"We will ask you again," the maiden said a little more forcefully, "Are you giving up?"

Izar had fixed her mouth to answer them, "Not even close."

The catch was that the voice that answered didn't come out of her mouth. This was voice was masculine and belonged to the winged young man that was standing behind the maiden and the creature a few feet away. When they turned around to face the young man Izar got a glimpse for herself who it was. The minute she rested her eyes on him Izar felt a wave of emotion mow her down. She was a mixture of happy, relieved, sad, and unbelievably angry all at the same time. There was only one person that could make her feel such a range of emotions at once. It was definitely the young man standing before them. His spiky, fiery blonde hair was longer as it was scraping the tops of his shoulders, his tinted orange skin seemed a little darker, his sky blue eyes that were usually light with happiness were now focused with intensity on the two foes. What stood out the most about him was the fiery aura that was pulsating off of him just as Izar's was doing. Only his was brighter, more fierce and blinding, and left something of a trail behind him when he started walking towards them slowly. His other prominent features were his four, long, thickly feathered wings that spread like beckons of solidified sunlight from his back. They were sun gold streaked with tinges of intense orange and fiery crimson red. His most stand out feature amongst the many on his incredibly handsome face was the sun mark that resembled Izar's star mark closely in its design.

Izar stammered at the name that was on the tip of her tongue, that had been on her mind ever since they separated, "S…S…Sol…"

"Solar Wing," slithered that creature, beating Izar to the punch.

The fiery looking young man started to stalk towards them with a set, determined scowl on his face, "You leave her alone, right…" in a flash he went from walking into flying towards the duo in a fiery blur.

When he was finally visible again he had driven a knee hard into the abdomen of the maiden, "Now." He whispered in her ear as she doubled over in pain in front of him.

Just as quickly as he attacked the maiden he set his sights on the creature. The creature jumped up into the air and tried its disappearing act it kept pulling on Chad earlier. However he saw right through the charade by jumping into the air himself. Izar watched him closely, seeing him extend an arm and grab onto something that was invisible to her. He swung the thing around, then slammed it towards the ground hard. The moment it hit the gravel the creature materialized back into visibility, squirming and writhing in pain. Izar turned her attention back to Solar Wing just in time to see him speed down to stand between the duo that were now too busy in pain to notice him standing over them. He held out his hand and the aura around it had became brighter and more fierce, all of his aura disappeared from his body and flew right into his hand that now seemed to be holding the power of the sun in it.

"Now, its time for you to rest." He growled down at the two writhing beings. "Permanently."

The ball of fiery aura flew from his hand in a monstrous blast that was so bright Izar covered her eyes and had to turn away from it. When the light had receded she turned back around to see him standing over a big, black scorch mark on the ground where the white maiden and her diamond shaped headed comrade once were. He stood there for a minute and Izar could only stare at the back of him.

"He's really standing there.' She thought to herself, 'After all this time he's standing right there in front of me.'

The thought made her eyes sting from holding back tears. She quickly wiped the back of her hands across her eyes to keep them at bay. The last thing she was going to do is show him how soft she had gotten in his absence. Finally after a long moment of staring at the scorch mark on the ground he furled his wings back up. He turned around slowly and within seconds his gaze caught Izar's and stayed there.

"Izar" she heard Chad's voice say to her.

"Yeah," she breathed still holding the stare with him.

"He has a mark on his eye like you. Is that…?" Chad started to say.

"Hi Cellie." He beamed, his usual bright, charming smile crossing his face.

Izar wanted to return the smile so bad and run to him, throw her arms around him, and hold him tight so he could never get away from her again. Instead she shot him a very mean scowl.

"It's Izar here," she spat at him, "Cyrus you bastard, how dare you sit up here and act like everything's okay after you abandoned me and blocked your imprint, leaving me only a few clues as to where you were? You're seriously going to stand there and smile at me like I'm suppose to be happy to see you? You are such an ass!" she barked at him, shaking her fist at him in anger that she was faking to the tee but he didn't know that.

This was the Cellie that he had known, always feisty, spunky, and quick to catch an attitude with him. She saw his smile broadened in a knowing fashion at her tirade. This smile made her so happy on the inside. For the longest she had dreamt of and remembered that smile. Now to finally see it after all this time it was just so much. However she didn't let on to how happy she was to see him.

"Now if you're finished making me look like a wimp by beating up the bad guys for me, can you get your behind over here and help me with my friend. As you can see from the arrow sticking out of his chest, he's hurt." She called to him crossly.

She turned her attention back to Chad lying in her lap for the moment as she felt Cyrus coming over to obey her heated demand. When he got to her side he knelt down to examine the arrow sticking out of Chad's chest.

"Although it may not look or feel like it, the arrow only did superficial damage." Cyrus explained calmly looking Chad in the face.

Izar couldn't help but notice how Cyrus's gaze focused on Chad a little longer than what she thought was normal, and it held a certain feel to it she found herself not really liking. It was almost like a scrutinizing glare you would give to a person that didn't come off quite pleasant to you. She shook off the look and the feeling it gave her when Cyrus turned his gaze attention back to the arrow.

"You must have incredible muscle density, high endurance, or something because this arrow should have pierced your heart." He said grabbing the arrow in his hand, gripping it tight. He shot Chad a somewhat reassuring smile, "This is going to sting. A lot."

Without another word Cyrus practically ripped the arrow from Chad's chest, drops of blood went flying and the small circle of blood that had surrounded the arrow lodged in his chest started to grow bigger. Izar felt Chad's body jolt slightly in her arms but besides that no trace of pain was his face nor did he cry out in pain.

'My warrior boy.' She thought a small smirk forming on her lips.

Cyrus seemed a tad taken aback at Chad's rather cool reaction to having an arrow pulled out of his chest. He gave Chad an interested look, looked at the arrow he was now holding in his hand, then back to Chad, "You took that a lot better than I had expected." He shrugged throwing the arrow off in some random direction.

Izar felt Chad shift in her arms as he readied himself to sit up.

"I don't think that would be…good…" She broke off as he successfully sat up on his own.

Chad inspected that wound for himself, feeling around it with his hand. He made a grunting noise then turned to Izar, "I told you I was fine."

"That was kind of hard to believe with an arrow sticking out of your chest. Sorry I wasn't buying it." She shot him a glare, her hand on her hips.

"You're so worried about my chest. What about your wing?" Chad looked at it.

Izar did notice that it hung a little more relaxed than the others. When she went to flex it there was an unpleasant stinging sensation that caused a hiss of pain to come out of her mouth. She furled up her wings, gritting her teeth from her wing aching in the movement and her aura had disappeared along with her wings. Both Chad and Cyrus cast worried looks in her direction.

"It's fine." She protested mildly annoyed at them for worrying so much, "Probably just a scratch. It'll be fine in no time."

You should still get some treatment for it. You don't want it to get infected." Cyrus said.

Chad agreed with a nod.

"I have a first aid kit back home. I'll treat it then. Speaking of which, you're coming too, Chad. Your wound can get infected as easily as mine can. So come on." She got to her feet and dusted herself off.

On her feet she started to feel the early stages of her injuries kick in. She wasn't exactly in excruciating pain but she knew by tomorrow she'd be feeling it really bad.

"Izar, I can carry you." Chad offered getting to his feet too.

There must have been something in her movements that indicated how hurt she was feeling.

"Thank you but I'm fine Chad." She waved him away with a smile.

Cyrus got to his feet too. Izar zeroed in right on him, "You're coming too Sol…I mean Cyrus. I'm not giving you another chance to get away from me. After I'm finished patching up myself and Chad up you are going to spill absolutely everything to me. Beginning, middle, end, no beating around the bush or anything annoyingly eluding like that." She told him forcefully.

Cyrus only gave her a raised eyebrow expression as a response. He reached out his hand and ruffled the top of Izar's hair like he always did with her, "So glad to see not much about you has changed." He said nostalgically.

Izar missed the way he ruffled her hair but she roughly pushed his hand away giving him a scowl. She turned on her heel and stalked away from him. With the two of them in tow, Chad picking up his guitar from the spot where he had put it on the ground to help Izar, she started walking the best her legs could back towards Akiko's house.

On the way there Chad had fallen in step beside Izar and Cyrus for some reason was keeping his distance by staying a good three to four paces behind them. Izar found herself constantly looking over her shoulder so as not to lose him anywhere. She was secretly scared that while her back was turned Cyrus was going to take off again and leave her like he had before. After awhile she started to get a nasty pain in her neck from keeping this up for the following blocks.

"You're just going to add a pain in your neck to your list of injuries you keep this up." Chad told her evenly.

Izar rubbed the spot where the pain in her neck was forming, "I know, I just want to keep an eye on him." She admitted.

"I felt the same way when I bumped back into you again after you left me." He said.

"Huh?" Izar said even though she heard perfectly clear what he had said.

"I have a pretty strong feeling that he's not planning on leaving any time soon. So don't worry yourself about it, okay?" he looked down at her through his bangs.

Izar let out a sigh and shot Cyrus one more glance over her shoulder. The other times she had looked back he had his head cast downward towards the ground but in this instant he caught her. He gave her his normal smile accompanied by a small wave towards her before returning his gaze back to the ground. He appeared to be in deep thought about something and it was bothering her. One thing she remembered about him was that Cyrus was hardly the deep and thoughtful type. He was the carefree, laid back, and cool one of the group. Thoth was the deep, thinker. The only time he ever got deep into thought was when he was deeply troubled or he was bothered by something greatly. Whenever one of her guys was bothered it bothered Izar too. She hated seeing one of them go through something on their own. She was the scrappy one out of the group, but she was also the friendly, empathetic, and slightly more naïve one too.

"How do you feel seeing him again after all this time?" Chad asked interrupting her thoughts.

"A mixture of everything. I'm pissed at him, I'm happy to see him, I'm sad because I missed him so much and I feel like I can't express it, and I'm relieved at being reunited with him. I'm just also scared that he's going to leave me again. I'm an emotional mess right now."

After listening to herself she realized that these words were familiar to her somehow. Words that she had seen or heard not too long before now. She then remembered it was some of the words describing how Chad had felt after he had been reunited with her in his song about her. She looked up at Chad and stared at him. The moment when he had tried to kiss her flashed through her mind.

"Chad," she said softly to him.

"Hmm?" he returned her stare.

"I…I wanted…to say…" she started off slowly, "I'm sorry about earlier. I…"

"Don't Izar." Chad cut her off, "You already explained yourself and I understand. Don't keep apologizing for things you shouldn't be sorry about. I should apologize if anything."

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong." Izar said a little outraged.

"I did Izar. In a short time I've come to care about you a lot but I should have considered how you felt about us before acting out anything. Like I said I got caught up in the moment back there. It's just..." he broke off.

"Just…" Izar urged him on.

"You looked so beautiful tonight. You always look beautiful, and I acted on a stupid impulse." A bright blush came across his face.

Izar felt her heart melt inside her chest. She would never get over how sweet of a guy Chad was. It was hard to believe that there was such a guy in the universe like him. She lucked up so much when she decided to let him into her now becoming hectic existence. It was because of that she wish she hadn't or at least wished that the circumstances were different. Making things serious with him now not only made her feel like maybe things were being rushed but she knew that like a few moments ago Chad would be often used as her weakness. They would exploit her feelings for him in order to bend her to their will. Even though Chad had promised to protect her no matter what she shared the same sense of protection for him too.

'I have to protect you, Chad. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you over me.'

"For what its worth Chad." Izar said brightly, "I docare a lot about you too. More than I could ever have expected. So how's about we don't rush this. Let's work on our friendship first and let things progress naturally, huh?"

Chad's blush faded as he turned to her. Finally the corners of his mouth turned up in a small smile. This made her smile even more, "However, I do enjoy you holding me." She blurted out.

She covered her mouth with her hand but the damage was already done. Now it was her turn to blush, bright red crossing her face. Chad chuckled a little at her expanse but she was happy to see him laughing that she wasn't but so embarrassed.

"That kind of slipped out." She muttered shyly.

The rest of the way they walked in a semi-silence until they came to the front door of Akiko's house. Before Izar could stick her key into the lock the door flung open to show Akiko standing there with a worried expression on her face. The moment she got a look at the battle weary duo she went straight into maternal mode.

"Oh my word, get in here now" she gasped pushing them both inside.

"Hold on Akiko, there's one more." Izar said turning around to see Cyrus standing at the end of the walkway, peering shyly into their direction.

Akiko whipped around, "Were you where they were too? Were you involved?" Akiko asked rather fiercely.

Cyrus's eyes went wide at Akiko's tone. He answered with a simple nod of his head.

"Then get in here." Akiko barked at him.

Cyrus quickly made his way up the path and into the house. Akiko escorted them all into the living room, "I'll go fetch the first aid kit. When I come back down be ready to feed me the condensed version of what happened, okay?"

She fluttered out of the room and up the stairs. Once she was out of the room Cyrus and Izar cast quick glances at each other. Cyrus turned away quickly so he could scan the house, "So, you used that charm of yours to get in cozy with one of the local families and found a place to stay, huh? I figured you would. That bright nature of yours is irresistible." Cyrus praised shooting her a quick smile.

"I'm still mad at you, Cyrus." she hissed at him, "You better be getting yourself together too. You're going to have a hell of a lot of explaining to do."

Akiko soon came back into the room with her medical supplies in hand, "Alright, who needs treatment ASAP?"

"Izar." Both Chad and Cyrus said in prefect unison before she could get anything out.

The two young men exchanged brief stoic stares with each other. Izar felt jumped at the moment. Why were they so insistent on getting her treated when Chad was the one who kept bleeding? Either way Akiko went to work on Izar first.

"Where are you hurt sweetie?" she asked soothingly.

"Everywhere." She admitted, "But I think my back and one of my wings is the main priority."

"Okay, lift up your shirt." Akiko instructed.

"Akiko." Izar said through clenched teeth, then nodded her head at Cyrus and Chad in the room.

"No time to be modest. Your health is at stake. Now up." Akiko ordered.

Izar grunted but started to roll up her shirt. She knew Chad must have been blushing like crazy where he was sitting. Cyrus on the other hand must be feeling awkward. Seeing her anything near naked must have been like watching his little sister undress. She tried to avoid eye contact with the two of them but Akiko had swiveled her around where she had to face Cyrus. Facing him Izar expected to see him making a face at seeing her bra just to mess with her but instead she saw a different reaction from him. To her surprise she saw something of a smoldering, longing look in his eyes that she found herself being creeped out by.

'If I didn't know any better I'd say that Cyrus is checking me out.'

When Cyrus met Izar's gaze he slightly shook his head and turned away from her, developing a fascination with the lamp situated next to the chair he was sitting in.

"Oh Izar," she heard Akiko gasp from behind her, "What were you hit by a pole or something?"

"Or something." Izar replied with a sly smile.

"Now what happened, huh? You go out for a walk and come back looking like something a monster gobbled up and spit out." Akiko said in a demanding tone.

Izar went to answer her but Cyrus had stepped in and beat her to the punch.

"Let's just say that an old friend of Izar and me decided to drop a word to Izar in a rather strange way." Cyrus answered mysteriously.

"An old friend?" Akiko scoffed as she applied a cooling gel pack to Izar's bruising back.

"The word friend is being used very loosely here." Cyrus replied smirking charmingly.

Izar knew in that moment that her worst fears were realized.

'Thoth did this.' She thought seriously, 'He came back for me. Is that why you came back Cyrus? You knew what was going on and was trying to warn me or something?' As she thought this she locked her dark gaze on Cyrus who again met her eyes. She was trying to ask him these questions with her eyes. He must have picked up the vibe because he mouthed the words, "Later, we'll talk."

She responded with a slight nod of her head at this. Akiko finished working on Izar's severely bruised back.

"You said your wing was hurt also right." Akiko stated.

"Get back a little." She warned Akiko.

It took everything in her not to scream when she unfurled her wings from her back for Akiko. She gritted her teeth hard as she lifted the injured one for Akiko to spot.

"It's the upper wing on my right." She told her.

Akiko went over with the gauze and peroxide and got to work. Izar hissed at the burn of the peroxide on her injury. Someone grabbed her hand just then, giving her a comforting squeeze. Since she was pinching her eyes closed against the pain she didn't see who it was. She thought that it was Chad at first because of the warmth in it. Yet she noticed that this hand had fingers that weren't long and thick like his. Instead even though they were big and strong they were rather soft and feminine feeling like hers. Opening her eyes she saw it Cyrus holding her hand. On his face was an apologetic expression telling her that he must have feeling some kind of guilt over what had happened to her. Blaming himself for the injuries she had sustained. To let him know that she didn't blame him she returned his firm grip with a squeeze of her own.

"That should be able to do it." Akiko nodded inspecting her job on Izar's wing by lifting it some. Touching ever so lightly and moving it as not to cause her any more pain.

Izar furled up her wings very slowly into her back again. She wasn't in much pin any more with her wing patched up and a gel pack strapped to her back across her huge bruise. She still wasn't looking forward to what tomorrow would bring though.

"Okay, big guy, get over here." Akiko ordered Chad spotting the blood stain on his shirt.

Izar moved from the couch where she was seated to switch places with Chad.

To preoccupy herself she took this time to study her friend Cyrus. No doubt he had changed from the last time she had seen him. Back then Cyrus was a little bit on the scrawny side with soft, feminine, and delicate features. His personality was as vibrant, bright, and fiery as the sun. Yet looking at him now he seemed to age and change gradually over the time he was away from her. Of course his hair was a little longer and wilder than ever before, but he seemed to fill out too. His shoulders were more broad and defined as was his entire body going from scrawny teenager to strong, well built young man. His muscles having formed and taken on great shape. His face had lost a lot of its feminine edge, becoming more rugged, his features more chiseled. Yet he also appeared to be more mature in a way. He seemed jaded and wiser to things now. Nothing to how he once was just as naïve and bright as she was when they were all still together. Thoth was the only one who seemed to know any better about life and the universe in general. That's why he must have assumed the role of leader. He knew how blind to things the two of them were.

'Maybe if we had been a little less stupid and closed minded we could have been ready somewhat for Thoth when he snapped.' She thought in anguish.

Just then something about Cyrus's mark caught her attention. He had been sitting in the direct light path of the lamp in the living room. It cast a spotlight like path right on his mark, piercing through his spiky bang to reveal his mark and the obvious change that it too had taken.

"Your mark changed colors." She blurted out, pointing at Cyrus's face.

Though she spoke to Cyrus, Akiko and Chad turned to look at her, too. Cyrus seemed a tad surprised at first, but he quickly recovered raising an amused fiery streaked eyebrow.

"Took you this long to notice?" he asked smugly, pulling his bang away from his mark so she could get a better look at it.

In deed his mark had changed colors. It had gone from black to a fiery array of colors. The thick outline of the mark was now a dark fiery crimson red, while the thinner lines that interlaced the smaller designs were an intense orange, and the smaller suns connected by the lines were a vibrant and bright gold.

"So you're like Izar?" Akiko asked pointing to her left eye for emphasis.

"Yes, there's another one, too." Cyrus explained to her simply.

"Three of you in all? Where's the other one? And where have you been all this time? Were you the one that Izar kept going through my files for?" Akiko popped off question after question at him.

"Akiko, stop." Izar said simply with a small smile, "He just got back into town and frankly I would like it if he explained himself to me first."

Akiko narrowed her eyes at Cyrus but said nothing else. She finished patching up Chad's wound.

"There," she placed a huge band aid over the arrow wound, "You should be good for now. It's getting late so you should be getting home, alright." Akiko looked up at Chad and gave him a smile.

Chad nodded in agreement with her. As he fetched his guitar case Izar got up from her spot, "I'll walk you to the door." She announced.

She shot Akiko a warning look not to pester Cyrus while she was with Chad. One that Akiko reacted to with an innocent wide eyed look that was fit for an old time ingénue. With that done Izar walked outside to stand on the porch with Chad who was waiting for her. Izar closed the door behind her as she went to stand by Chad. He was looking out into the night in front of him, his token stoic expression on his face. As attractive as she found him Izar thought this look was not very appealing.

'I know something that might put a smile on his face.' She thought mischievously.

She grabbed Chad's shoulder, pulled him down towards her, and kissed him softly on his cheekbone. By the time he straightened his face was already turning red again.

"That was my way of saying thank you for helping me out back there. Even after our little awkward moment." She gave him an uneasy smile.

Chad was still recovering from her earlier surprise. After the red faded from his face he looked down at Izar, "You know thanking me is a waste of time. I would have done it regardless of what happened. Remember, I promised to protect you no matter what. If I can't protect you fully, I'll at least fight by your side."

"You have no idea how much it touches me when you say things like that." Izar whispered softly, casting her gaze downward.

Chad took a step towards her with his arm extended to her. Without hesitation Izar walked into him, wrapping her arms around him as he embraced her. Izar sank into his warmth, relished in it even. Whether she had her feelings for him sorted out or not she _loved _being next to him like this. Chad tangled one of his hands in Izar's hair while the other held her tight around her waist. The two of them stood there holding each other like that for what felt like hours.

"You said you enjoy it when I hold you." Chad said softly, breaking their silence, "I love doing it."

Izar felt herself flush at what he said. Feeling a little overheated by the moment now she discreetly started to break away from his hold. She stepped a couple of feet away from him, catching her breath, and letting the cool breeze that was blowing by cool her off some.

'Geez, hormones can be really annoying sometimes.' She thought wishing she trusted herself more with Chad.

Chad seemed a little flustered himself.

"Sorry about that." Izar apologized breathlessly.

"There you go again. Apologizing for things you shouldn't." Chad turned to give her a knowing smile.

"You should get home now. Don't want that stain to set do you?" she nodded to his bloody shirt, "You know you're making a habit of bleeding in all your shirts. Keep it up and I just might have to get Akiko to take you shopping with her. You'll be doing me a favor considering I hate it."

Chad's smile broadened a little bit more before he started walking down the walkway. At the end he turned around and gave her a wave that she returned before he started walking off into the night.

Cyrus's POV

As soon as Izar had left the room to see her friend out the woman shot him a death glare out of this dimension. She crossed the room to get right within inches of his face.

"Listen you, I have come to love that girl very much. You know, the one that you abandoned wherever and forced her to be on her own. I figured if you are the only ones of your kind you would have stuck together but no here it is I find her alone in the park one night sleeping under a tree in the pouring rain. Now you want to show back up in the picture. For what?" she hissed at him through clenched teeth.

"Look, I'm happy that you've taken to my friend and have been helping her since she's been here. Just know I didn't abandon her anywhere. The reason I'm back is because she's in danger now. I was gone because I thought I could protect her by staying away but that's not working anymore." He explained, using his charismatically pleasant tone that he knew always won people over. "I don't know what all she's told you or revealed to you but just know I'm not the bad guy here. It may seem like that on the surface but I care about Izar a lot, and I only want to help her in the way I couldn't before. You'll know everything about me when the time arises, but right now as Izar said I think I should explain myself to her before I disclose anything to you." He explained in a gentlemen like fashion.

He had picked up this tone from watching Thoth all the time back before all this ugly nonsense went down. Unlike Thoth however Cyrus often used his charms on whoever he knew would fall right for it. While Izar and Thoth always seemed less open with the idea of interacting with people not like them. Izar had seemed very reluctant at first, therefore dealt with others in a rather, scrappy and overly defensive manner. Whereas Thoth just seemed annoyed by the whole thing. Yet because he was more open with people Cyrus was able to tune his charms so that they worked on anybody. The woman, Akiko, seemed to bend to his will, though it seemed very reluctantly. If he hadn't repeated what Izar had said earlier Cyrus believed the woman would have paid him no heed to what he was saying.

'Seems Izar's charms are still stronger than mine's.' he thought nostalgically.

"Fine, I won't ask you anything else." She surrendered, "Except this, do you have a place to stay tonight? If you don't you're more than welcome to sleep here on the couch until morning." She offered.

Honestly, he had already had a place in mind where he could stay with no problems but at that moment, upon seeing Izar after so long he knew he couldn't just depart again from her. Right now all he wanted was to be right there at her side.

"No, I don't right at the moment. Thank you very much." He smiled his best at her.

"Your welcome." She said somewhat indifferently. "I'll be back with a pillow and some sheets.

When she was gone Cyrus noticed that Izar was taking her good old time for just seeing someone to the door. Natural always a curious person he got up and went to the door. Just his luck the door was slightly ajar. Quietly and quickly he crept up to peek out of the small crack. He felt a slight icy feel come over his heart from what he had seen before him. Izar and that gigantic "friend" of hers were embracing passionately on the porch.

Izar may have been clueless to it but he was well aware of how he had loved her forever. Ever since he first laid eyes on her when she was a pudgy, black winged baby in the lab's nursery. Even back then her eyes were wide, beautiful, and always shimmered like stars were hidden somewhere in their depths. He would have gladly had died for her and this was often the reason why he and Thoth had fought constantly when they were on the run after they had escaped from the labs. They knew what kind of means the scientist would have used to capture or destroy them. Whereas he wanted to face their pursuers head on and stop them at the beginning Thoth always wanted to hide or outmaneuver them to avoid having Izar see any bloodshed being she was so young at the time. However he had wanted to kill their enemies at the door. He was convinced he was so powerful he could do away with them so they won't come back. Izar wouldn't have saw any killing then because Cyrus would have rather died than let her fight with him and Thoth when they did. Any fight she did participate in were minor squabble where he was certain she wouldn't have gotten hurt, but anything more serious and he would argue her down from the fight.

It was his love for her, along with someone else who shared just as strong feelings for her, that was the reason things were elapsing the way they were now. The way he stayed away all this time so_ he _couldn't use him as a trace back to her. How he was here now because he wanted to protect her because his stalling and diversion tactics aren't working any longer. Yet seeing the way that guy, Chad, was holding her. The way he towered over her, holding her strongly against him, in a protective kind of hold. As if he was trying to use that massive body of his as a shield of sorts. He was embracing her the way you would hold something in order to keep others at bay and keep what you were protecting closer to you.

'Looks like she already found somebody to protect her.' He thought sadly.

The thought just made the icy chill that settled over his heart melt away as it became replaced by a roaring fire within. The feeling expanded from his heart to engulf his whole body. Just then the feeling became very prominent in his marked eye.

"Calm down." He gritted to himself.

At his command the fire extinguished itself as suddenly as it started.

"Get a grip you." He scolded himself, "A beautiful, amazing girl like her and you really thought she wouldn't find somebody else. I'd be lucky if this is the only guy right now. There's probably a line somewhere waiting for this one to screw up so they can have a shot."

Although this did make him see the situation more realistically it didn't do nothing to erase the fact that he was hurting. He felt that right now he had came just a little too late. He couldn't bring himself to spy on them anymore so he quietly closed the door all the way and made his way back into the living room. Akiko was standing there with her arms crossed over her chest, eyeing him with a smug and knowing glare.

"Finished spying pretty boy?" she raised an eyebrow.

Cyrus exhaled deeply and walked past her to lounge on the couch where a fresh pile of sheets and a pillow awaited him.

"If you had shown up a little bit earlier, say somewhere around a week earlier you might have had a shot, but really." She continued giving him a look, "A very beautiful girl like her who's smart, bright, friendly, and charming. She could only hold them off for so long and it surely wouldn't have been long before one of them gained her interest back." She lectured in a mothering tone.

Cyrus mentally wished the woman would be quiet. It's not like he hadn't already told himself everything she was saying to him. He didn't need it drilled in.

"I will say this. I was a little, shall we say, surprised when I first saw him but after awhile I noticed a change in Izar after the night she brought him here. He was hurt then too. He must be a jinx or something. Anywho, she seems to be so happy with him around and I frankly have a good feeling about him. So at least have the satisfaction that she found someone that makes her happy."

Without uttering another word she left the room, leaving Cyrus alone with his thoughts. Shortly after Izar finally came back into the house. Cyrus noticed she seemed a little flustered and anxious, and her face was still rather red in the cheeks. He couldn't help but find that so adorable. He had to resist the urge to go over and wrap his arms around her himself. She came and sat in the chair he had sat in not too long ago.

"So," she sighed, "Where do you want to start?" she asked sort of dryly.

"Where do you want to start?" he replied giving her a teasing look, trying to distract himself from how pretty she looked with the lamp light casting her skin in a more golden hue.

"For starters where have you been all this time?" she asked staring him right in the eye.

"Keeping our deer friend Thoth distracted from carrying through with some evil things he had in mind." He answered indifferently.

"So he's really gone off the deep end? He's gotten worse?" Izar questioned sadly, her dark eyes becoming glassy with tears.

"It's not him, Izar. There's something that has gotten a hold of him and its grip on him is strong." Cyrus told her strongly.

Despite their many spats, fights, and clashing personalities Cyrus did really think of Thoth as a dear friend, his best friend, and after a year of battling with him over and over again he's seen things that's pretty much convinced him that this isn't Thoth that was doing these things.

"What do you mean? You're saying Thoth is possessed by something?" Izar asked with her face scrunched up in confusion.

"Let's just say that from what I have seen in the time I've been using myself as a diversion for him I've seen more than enough to know that Thoth is definitely not himself. The only remnants he has of himself is…" he broke off, debating on whether he should have continued with what he started to say.

"Is what?" Izar sat up in her chair.

"He still wants you, Izar. That's why those two bastards were here. Thoth probably made them himself, then sent them after you." He explained.

"He _made_ them?"

"Izar, Thoth has changed along with his powers and strength. So in order to be able to combat that I had to get stronger myself. That's why my mark changed colors. To show that my powers increased."

"You increased your powers? How?" Izar gasped.

"When I came crashing down I had ended up here. While we were falling from the sky I managed to get away from Thoth. So while I landed here he landed somewhere else. I guess like you I lived out on the streets at first. Then, during a rainy night like you, I eventually worked my charm on one of the locals and got myself a place to stay, but this wasn't just any regular local. This guy would end up being how I got the way I am now." Cyrus said almost dreamily.

"Who was it?"

"The guy I wanted you to find after I left and lead you here. I wanted him to help you the same way he had helped me. Kisuke Urahara."

Flashback

"So, where did you say you were from?" Kisuke asked, pouring more steamy, hot liquid into the cup he was holding in his freezing fingers.

Cyrus was out in the streets during a stormy afternoon, getting soaked to the bone in the downpour. He was standing in front of some kind of store, using its canopy outside as a form of shelter but it did nothing to ease the chill that was settling into his bones. Unless he wanted to die from getting sick he needed to find a warm place and quick. That's when he started skimming the passersby for somebody who would easily give in to his charms. He don't know what exactly it was that drew his attention to the man with the striped bucket hat and sandals that walked by at the moment with an umbrella but Cyrus went right for him. He walked ahead the man, then took a firm stand right in front of him. The young man seemed surprised, his eyes going wide in the shadow that his hat cast over them, at Cyrus suddenly appearing in front of him.

"Oh, excuse me." The man said politely, smiling coolly, "I had no idea you were right here."

"I need a place to stay for the night." Cyrus blurted out through chattering teeth. "I have no idea where I am, no place to go, and I haven't eaten in days. Any longer in this weather and I'll get pneumonia. Please, if you can at least just spare a bed or tell me a place where I can dry off." Cyrus said trying to sound as pathetic and desperate as he could. Not that he was lying about starving, being cold, and wanting a place to rest that wasn't on concrete in an alleyway or a park bench. It just wasn't in Cyrus's rather proud nature to grovel and work a performance for a pity party.

Opening his mouth to continue his heart wrenching tirade Cyrus was silenced by the man holding up his hand, "Say no more young man." He told him seriously, his face full of sympathy, "I have more than enough at my shop to accommodate you if you wish to have a place to stay. I was actually on my way home now. So just follow me okay." He smiled at Cyrus.

At seeing that he had gotten the man hook, line, and sinker Cyrus returned the smile fervently.

Now at the moment the twosome were in the man's shop, sitting down at a table, having cups of steaming tea and food for Cyrus. He was wrapped in a blanket, his wet clothes were being handled by the muscular man with a mustache and wearing an apron that they had bumped into upon their arrival.

"I didn't say I was from anywhere." Cyrus answered through a mouthful of food.

"Well, could you?" the man persisted.

"I couldn't tell you where I'm from really." Cyrus admitted, "Not because I don't want to but it's kind of hard to define how I'm exactly here and how I ended up in this place."

The man nodded slowly, "Hmm, well, I won't pester you with questions about your background if you really can't tell me. However I am quite curious about that tattoo on your left eye. I noticed how your hair seems to want to cover it. Are you trying to cover it?"

Cyrus's hand quickly went to cover his eye. He couldn't see why, the man had already seen it.

"Yes, I was. This damn thing's been something of a curse for me ever since I could remember."

"I see." The man took a sip from his cup. "By the way I didn't introduce myself. I'm Kisuke Urahara and this is my shop."

"My name is Cyrus Jovani." Cyrus said extending a hand across the table.

Kisuke shook it briskly, "Nice to have you aboard Cyrus. Are you planning on staying?"

"For the time being, yes." Cyrus said before digging back into his plate.

"Well, you know you'll have to earn your keep around here then." Kisuke said brightly.

"You mean I have to work here if I want to stay?" Cyrus asked with narrowed eyes.

"Of course, unless you want everyone here to refer to you as 'Moocher'." Kisuke smiled so broadly that his eyes closed up.

"No, I wouldn't want that." Cyrus couldn't help but smile back at him. "Besides, it's not like I'm not use to doing a deal of chores. I use to have to do a lot back when I stayed with my friends." His voice dropped a little as he started reminiscing on his days with his two friends that seemed so far away and dream like ever since this nightmare started unfolding.

"What happened to your friends?" Kisuke asked.

"I…I don't really know. I lost them." Cyrus said sadly, his heart suddenly feeling like it was being weighed down by a ton of cinder blocks.

He was actually still in shock of what had happened only the day before yesterday. One of his best friends had just tried to murder him, after he murdered everyone in the area they were living in. He tried to kill him, and tried kidnap his other best friend. The whole horrific scene replayed in his mind almost every minute he had to himself. He shook his head vigorously to get the image out of his head. The one where he was lying in Cellie's arms after he came crashing back down to the ground from a horrendous blow given to him by Lunar Wing. She had caught him somewhat and was now cradling his upper body against her. If he remembered correctly, he could have sworn Cellie was crying. He could never recall a time where Cellie had ever cried. She was always so strong and tomboyish. Now she was reduced to a sobbing pile in front of him. He remembered drifting in and out of consciousness with her face being the only thing in his blurring vision. Cyrus remembered thinking that he was going to die in that moment. He remembered thinking, 'At least I get to die in her arms.'

He had reached up and cupped Cellie's wet and reddened cheek in his hand. Cellie looked down at him, tears streaming down her face. A shadow then passed over her face and Cyrus knew that _he_ was standing over them. He shifted his head so he could look at the face of his friend, his comrade, his somewhat closest thing to a brother he could get, and the man who had just tried to kill him not only seconds ago.

Lunar Wing stood over the two of them staring intently at Cellie. His mark glowed wickedly, his midnight blue aura pulsated off of him like never before, as if his sudden cruelty, relentlessness, and hatred was making him stronger. His white, black tipped wings unfurling to their full extent, casting the huge, frightening shadow over him and Cellie. She was too busy crying over him to notice him standing over her, glowering. Cyrus had tried to sit up to protect her from this animal that their friend had become but he couldn't do it. Cellie finally looked up at Lunar Wing, at that his face softened. He crouched down in front of Cellie, smiling the biggest, brightest smile that either of them had probably seen. This was very unlike him being that he was the quiet, stoic one who never showed over exaggerated expressions such as the smile he was showing now. He extended a hand towards Cellie's face to touch her.

"Don't you touch her, you animal!!" he roared at the young man.

"Be quiet," Lunar Wing growled back just as viciously, if not more and delivered another excruciating blow to his already tender and aching abdomen.

"Stop!" Cellie cried sparking up her fiery white aura and blasting Lunar Wing.

To their surprise Lunar Wing had not gone flying away like many of their enemies that Cellie had blown away with this move. Instead he had put up his hand, completely canceling out the blast with his own powers. His face was nonchalant as he lowered his hand and went to touch Cellie's face again.

"Don't! Leave me alone!" Cellie hollered at him.

"Cellie, stop." He told her calmly, "I know you're upset but I can explain everything if you come with me." He told her soothingly, like a father talking to his daughter. Or more appropriately a young man speaking to his lover, "I'm going to spare you Cellie. Now come with me."

Cellie's eyes became wide with shock and awe. Then her shocked expression turned to uncontrollable rage. She grabbed Lunar Wing's wrist, brought his hand to her mouth, and bit down hard on it. Blood gushed from her bite and he quickly snatched it from her teeth, his face not showing any sign of pain on it.

"I'd rather stay here and die beside Solar Wing than go anywhere with you." She gritted at him through clenched teeth.

Lunar Wing looked from his bleeding hand to Cyrus being cradled against Cellie protectively. His glare was a hateful and evil one that would have killed him then and there if the possibility was. He turned his eyes on Cellie, which softened instantly, "I'll spare _him_ if you wish." He offered her. He had referred to Cyrus as if he was the vilest thing ever and the mere mention of him made his skin crawl and left a bad taste on his tongue.

"What?" Cellie asked exasperatedly.

"I'll spare him if you come with me. No further harm will come to him." He said sounding as sincere as they came but Cyrus knew he was lying. There was no way Lunar Wing was going let him live, not after the beating he had unleashed upon him. He had every intention on killing him if he could. He was just telling Cellie what would sound good to her to get her to go with him. Cyrus knew why he was going to spare Cellie, why he wanted Cellie to go with him. He knew his intentions and feelings for her, and it made his insides cringe. He wouldn't let him have her though, not the one he loved. Especially not in this way. He studied Cellie's face that had become covered with a thoughtful expression right then. She was staring at Lunar Wing's extended hand considerably. To his surprise, slowly, she lifted her hand and started going to grab his. Seeing this gave Cyrus a sudden adrenaline rush that made him sit up quickly, grabbing her wrist roughly trying to stop her.

"NO!!" he shouted.

With one final forceful lunge Cellie reached her hand forward despite his attempts to stop her. He watched as her hand bypassed the extended hand of Lunar Wing and instead went for his other hand that was balled up, obviously holding something. It took a moment for it to sink in what she was trying to grab from him. Lunar Wing struggled to get Cellie off of his hand but she was not letting go. Soon Cyrus himself joined in the struggle, trying to pry his former best friend's fingers from around the object. Lunar Wing shot his odious glare at him before driving his fist hard into his face, knocking him onto his back. This move made Cellie's struggle with him more fervent. Finally she fell onto her back too. For a moment Cyrus thought the Lunar Wing had finally snapped and hit her but when he saw how her hands were cupped to her chest, holding the small fist sized stone in her hand he knew she had fell from having yanked the stone away from him. She then sat up and wrapped one arm around him.

"Hang on to me." She instructed him, her voice shaky and anxious. Her face then disappeared in an array of twisting, kaleidoscope images appearing around them as she opened a door to another dimension and was taking them through it.

Everything went by in flashes and blurs after that. During his remembrance Cyrus had recalled that he was supposed to be in a conversation with somebody. He snapped out of his reminiscent daydream to see Kisuke across the table staring at him curiously.

"Is everything alright? You sort of clocked out on me there for a moment." Kisuke asked him.

"Sorry, I was just remembering something." Cyrus said nonchalantly.

"From the expressions crossing your face I take it that this business with your missing friends was quite ugly." Kisuke said speculatively.

"Ugly is quite the understatement." Cyrus muttered to himself, "Quite the understatement."

Present

"So what happened after you started staying with Kisuke?" Izar asked him.

At this point Izar had came over to sit next to him and rest her head on his shoulder, him resting his head on top of hers, while she listened to everything he was saying.

"I started working for him. At first I was doing little menial task like running errands, fetching things for him around the shop, and the like. Then one day he put me on more laborious duty with the two little kids that also work there. Let's just say this work was definitely working my nerves at the time. The back breaking work was horrible considering I was still healing up from my fight with Thoth, so I was more than getting a little cranky. Not to mention the little mouthy red head boy that always shucks his share of the work and puts it off on the little girl who he harasses day in and day out." He was explaining.

"Hold on, let me guess," Izar said smiling, "You were getting all worked up and your temper got the best of you. Therefore your powers started acting up again. Oh man, that is so you." She started laughing.

'She's so beautiful when she laughs.' He thought as he smiled too.

"Yeah, well." He sighed, "Anyway after I almost burned down the shop with my temper Kisuke pulled me aside and basically pulled the truth out of me. He admitted that he actually has an ability to notice certain powers in other people. He said he noticed mine right away. He said when walked past me in town that day I told him I needed a place to stay he felt it. That's why he was so quick to accept my request to stay with him. He wanted to feel me out, get a better vantage point of my abilities he sensed in me. So when my temper activated my powers in front of everyone he felt it was time to address this thing with me. So I told him everything there was to know about me."

"Everything?"

"Everything."

"So how did he respond to it?"

"He was actually laid back about it. He said that he found himself being absolutely fascinated by what had happened to us. I remembered him asking what I was planning on doing now. I told him that once I healed up I was going to go find my friends. I was going to protect you and try to defeat Thoth, beat some sense into him if I could. He replied by saying that my plan had flaws in it. For one, if Thoth had beat me up before what made me think I could possibly beat him in round two. Two, how was I so certain that he hadn't already found you himself. Three, if didn't find you how was I so certain that I would find you before him, and if I did who's to say he might not have tracked me to lead him to you." He listed off the numbers on his fingers as he said this.

"So that's why you blocked your imprint and only left me clues here and there." Izar said, her voice getting lower as her wide dark eyes turned to slits as they drooped.

"I was taking what he said seriously. I could only protect you by staying away. I came to that conclusion after I used my imprint to see you were alright. So after I fed you the clues I kind of shut off my imprint for awhile so you wouldn't find me."

"How did you get stronger? Did Kisuke do that?" she asked now wrapping her arms around him.

Cyrus felt nothing but nostalgia at her doing that. It reminded him of those times when she would fall asleep cuddled up to him during those nights they were on the run. Thoth would stay up and watch all night while he and Izar went to sleep. He loved the way she always seemed to feel cooler than anybody else. He wondered why that was but he never bothered asking.

"Yeah, Kisuke offered to train me so I could be stronger when I decided to go up against Thoth again. Turns out he was a fighter himself once upon a time. So he told me that he would take on the task of training me if I really was serious about going up against Thoth again. He taught me a lot in that short period of time. When I reached the new level of my powers that he had awakened during his training was when my mark changed its color."

"Is Thoth's mark different too now?" Izar asked innocently enough.

"Yeah, it changed when he came back and destroyed everything." He told her.

"So Kisuke trained you and you become stronger. What all did he teach you?"

"A lot. I wanted you to learn things from him, too. That's why I wanted to lead you there to him, so he could teach you like he taught me, but I see you found shelter and safety elsewhere. However I would think the offer to train you will stand with Kisuke."

"Hmm." Izar replied tiredly, her eyes completely closed now. "So when did you leave to go fight Thoth?"

"I would like to think it was before you had arrived here. Kisuke's a great teacher so my training didn't take but so long. After I left I hunted down Thoth to some remote dimension traveling island that he has made with his powers."

"So he doesn't need the stone to travel through dimensions anymore?" Izar asked surprised.

"He's very powerful, Izar. You'd be surprised at half the tings he can do now. All by just thinking about it. He's unstoppable almost." Cyrus said stiffly.

"So you found him, but you said your imprint didn't work good because you sort of shut it off. Not to mention I couldn't even get through to Thoth in any way shape or form."

"He completely severed his imprint with us, but I'm still able to track him due to a new ability I taught myself. Or more like an ability we all had but just never got used to like that."

"So after you tracked him down, what happened? Were you really fighting against him for a year, all by yourself?"

Cyrus became quiet for a minute. The answer was that he had been fighting Thoth for a whole entire year acting as a diversion to keep Thoth's mind off of other things that was he wanted to do. He made a mission out of keeping it up until recently. Now Thoth had turned the tables and was now distracting him from things. While he was preoccupied with fighting off Thoth's latest fleet of goons he had found out later, after he had tortured one, that Thoth had sent two of his personal favorites to go retrieve Izar after all this time. That was why he was here now. Protecting her from afar wasn't cutting it anymore. Thoth, the crafty bastard, had found a way around him finally.

"Honestly, I don't think I'm really ready to talk about the things that happened during my time being a one man army against the army that Thoth made from his powers." He told Izar.

Izar's head popped up then, her face looking confused, "Why?"

"I'm still getting used to the fact that it really happened." He took her face in his hands then, staring her right in the eyes, "There's has been a lot going on between the year Thoth and I have been going at it. I've seen him do some horrible things, I've seen things about him I can't explain, and I've changed a lot myself. I've done things I'm not proud of and I just really don't want to talk about any of it right now. You understand, right? The things that happened during our feuding, the stories alone is enough to give anybody nightmares. So I want to spare you those details. Just know that I can't distract Thoth no more, and he's ready to come after you anyway he can. So I'm here now to prevent that. Okay?" he tried to smile to reassure her.

Izar nodded, "I understand. At least you let in on what's been happening to you. You have no idea how worried I've been about both of you. This makes it somewhat easier for me to get to sleep tonight." She said, her eyes turning to slits again.

"Speaking of which, you look really tired. We've talked enough for tonight. You should go to bed." He said.

"Between you and me, I don't think I can make it up the stairs." She said softly, her eyes closing and her body falling forward, against him.

Cyrus chuckled as Izar instantly went into rhythmic breathing as she fell instantly to sleep. He stood up, scooping her in his arms, and started making his way upstairs. He went into the room where the door was still opened, assuming it was the room she slept in, and set her gently in the bed. He took off her shoes for her, then covered her with a blanket. Cyrus sat on the side of the bed gazing at his sleeping friend. She always looked so adorable when she was sleep to him. So peaceful like the angel she was. He reached out his hand and started running it through her long hair the spilled across the pillow and down the covers.

"Night, Cellie." He whispered, calling her the name he knew her by so well.

Then he placed a small kiss on her cheekbone. This was just how they were back when they had finally found a home and he would carry her to bed at night after finding her slumped over on the couch or while she was finishing her chores. He was leaving the room, about to close the door behind him when he heard Izar call for him.

"Cyrus," she called sleepily.

He turned around to see her looking sleepily at him, "Yes?"

"I really, really missed you and I so happy you're back now." She said before going right back to sleep.

"I missed you, too." He whispered, closing the door behind him.

'I thought she was never going to say it.'

*******************************************************************************************************  
Yes, Cyrus is back in the picture…for now. I'm really sorry about the long length but there was a lot I wanted to cover in this chapter. Especially the story of Cyrus when he first came to Karakura Town, what his connection to Kisuke was, and what both the guys were up to during the time Izar was kicking hollow butt and getting more than a little snuggly with Chad. I'll try to keep the rest of the chapters shorter from now on.

Keep reading, and I would really like some reviews because I know people have been putting alert on my story but feedback is always appreciated on my part.

Fun Fact: Remember earlier in the chapter when I had Izar playing the game with Kenji? If you didn't get all the references she was playing "Kingdom Hearts 2". I put that in there because I'm currently brainstorming on making a Kingdom Hearts fanfic with another OC of mine's. So keep a lookout for that, but stay tuned on this one too.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything Bleachoriented. I only own my OCs and their stories.

********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Twelve: A Semi-Normal Day

Izar's POV

When she woke up the next morning Izar couldn't help but think that the events from last night was just a cruel dream that her mind was playing tricks with. Sitting up she felt her heart get heavy with loss and longing from realizing how much she was missing Cyrus. The dream that she had was simply instilling into her that she don't get too distracted from her own goal. With all this stuff involving Chad and his group of friends she had temporarily forgotten about her own hectic life story. Moving at a slug's pace Izar got up to get ready for school. While in the bathroom brushing her hair Izar noticed how tight and stiff her muscles felt, not to mention the horrible pain in her back.

"Damn, I guess that was a pretty realistic dream. I can still feel the pain from that fight I had in it." She thought out loud.

She went back to brushing her hair but then her strokes became slower and less enthusiastic as she slowly started to realize something.

"Maybe it wasn't a dream, you nut." She scolded her reflection in the mirror.

She dropped the brush quickly and darted out of the bathroom. She practically jumped down the stairs and went into the living room. Her heart sank as she exhaled a deep breath that she was holding. Absolutely nothing in the room seemed disturbed. Nobody could have possibly slept on the couch last night, especially not Cyrus. As much as he enforced the importance of chores around the house back when to her and Thoth, he was hardly the neat freak out of the group. Hanging her head low she tried hard to ignore the tears that were making her eyes burn. She made her way back out into the hall when she bumped into somebody.

"Sorry about that." Izar said quickly, not facing the person, scared that looking at them would reveal the tears she was holding back.

"It's alright and good morning to you."

The voice made Izar's face shoot up to look at the person who had just spoken. Her heart felt like it was going to flutter away when she saw Cyrus standing in front of her with a cup of orange juice in one hand and a plate in the other.

"Cyrus?" Izar gasped softly, feeling her eyes go wide with surprise.

"Yeah," Cyrus said raising an eyebrow at her in confusion, "Why do you seem so surprised to see me?"

"Oh…um…no reason." She replied quickly, shaking off her earlier feelings so as not to worry him or make him feel guilty. One thing she remembered was that both Thoth and Cyrus hated it when they did something to make her upset. "Is that for me?" she asked pointing to the plate, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, I made you all breakfast. It's a thank you to your friends for letting me stay last night and this is something of a peace offering I was going to bring up to you. You seemed pretty pissed at me last night after I popped up and I really don't want there to be any hard feelings between us after being reunited again." He said, giving her big, wide apologetic eyes.

It was a heart breaking expression that only a truly heartless person could reject outright.

"Well, thank you very much Cyrus." she smiled at him taking the plate from him, "And no, there are no more hard feelings between you and I. I told you last night I'm just happy to have you back. Now let's go to the kitchen." She said leading the way.

In the kitchen Akiko and Kenji were already sitting at the table picking away at the remainders of their plates.

"Good morning, Izar." Akiko smiled, "This was really sweet of you to cook breakfast for us. You're a good cook." She said to Cyrus.

"Please, it was nothing at all." Cyrus smiled charmingly as he stood at the counter, drinking the juice that was meant for Izar.

Izar sat next to Kenji who kept staring eagerly at Cyrus's face. Cyrus didn't bother to cover up his mark.

"So you're like Izar? Do you have powers and stuff?" Kenji asked him.

"Yes, I am and yes, I do." He answered him.

"This is so cool!" he exclaimed, "I have two warriors staying in my house! We never had this much excitement when Kyoko was living here. She should have moved out sooner." He beamed.

Akiko shot Kenji a scornful glare, "Don't talk about your sister in such a manor, Kenji." She said with a tight jaw, "Regardless of how you feel about her that is still your flesh and blood."

Kenji's face became just as tight and drawn as his mother's. Showing just how much he favored her in his appearance, "She probably doesn't miss us, so why should we miss her?"

He said lowly to himself, "I like having Izar here better than when she was. I wish Izar was my sister instead."

Izar reached under the table and grabbed the hand of Kenji that was sitting next to her. She gave it a squeeze. Kenji looked up at her and she smiled at him to show how touched she was by what he said.

"I'm finished." He said getting up and putting his plate in the sink.

"I'll get the dishes, too. So don't worry about those." Cyrus said to Akiko brightly.

"Oh, now you're just too much." Akiko gasped getting up from the table herself. "I understand if you're trying to return the favor for me letting you stay but I don't want a personal maid. If I did I would have hired one."

"Still, I insist." Cyrus persisted taking Akiko's plate and putting it in the sink.

Izar smiled as she ate her food. It was nice to see that while a lot had changed about Cyrus from the last time they saw each other just as much seemed to stay the same. He was still the charming, social butterfly he just seemed to have the affinity for being.

"Hurry up and finish eating, Izar. You're going to be late for school, that is if you're feeling up for it." Akiko said giving her a questioning look.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Izar replied nonchalantly.

"Are you sure?" she heard Cyrus's concerned voice say.

She looked up at him to see his wide eyed expression he always got when he became really worried about her.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll tell you like I tell Akiko all the time. Worrying about me will give you premature wrinkles." She smiled at him.

However, he didn't return the smile. His expression just got more deep and thoughtful. Like he wanted to say whatever it was that popped into his head but decided against saying it. Izar didn't want to think too much on it but Cyrus had seemed to be giving her a lot of strange looks since last night. She was starting to wonder if maybe being reunited with her was bringing up some problems from the past that she might have not noticed before. I mean she did seem to have a track record for not noticing very obvious stuff back then.

"Well, you hurry up then, but I'm warning you the minute your pain becomes unbearable or anything like that you call me and get out of there. I'm a little skeptical of letting you go. I have to leave for the office early, so I'll see you later, okay?" she came over and gave her a kiss on the forehead before flying out of the kitchen.

"Bye Akiko." She called after her.

She heard Kenji call a goodbye to his mother too followed by the opening and shutting of the front door.

"I see these two have become quite taken with you, Izar." Cyrus commented coolly from the sink, running the water to wash up the dishes. "Your charm seems to be one of your strongest traits. So what's the story? How'd you end up here?"

"Well, after I followed your clues here I, like you, sort of lived out on the streets for a while fending for myself." She started explaining, finishing off her food, "Then one day a boy sort of caught my eye during my search for you and Thoth."

"The giant you were with last night? That Chad guy?" he asked innocently enough but Izar couldn't help but sense something more in his tone.

"He's not a giant. His stature is just peculiarly large. I like it." Izar defended calmly.

"I bet you do." Cyrus muttered.

Izar was slightly annoyed but she didn't entertain the comment with a response.

"Anyway, after this guy caught my attention, like how that Kisuke guy caught yours, I sort of kept bumping into him."

"Bumping into him?" Cyrus gave her a smug and teasing look over his shoulder.

"I wasn't following him." Izar said quickly. She felt her cheeks start to heat up at his teasing stare.

'At first, but those other two times were just coincidences.' She thought.

"Okay, I'll take your word for it." Cyrus said turning back to the sink full of dishes in a tone that said he meant the complete opposite.

"So, I kept bumping into him because there was this group of guys who kept picking on him."

"A big guy like that getting picked on?" Cyrus said disbelievingly.

"I know, hard to believe, right? But Cyrus, you got to get to know Chad to understand. Despite his size he never fights for himself, he only fights when it's to protect others. He never fights back for himself, that's why these guys kept picking on him. So one day…"

"Okay now let me play the guessing game." Cyrus interjected with a smile in his tone, "You saw this yourself and didn't like it. So that scrappy nature of yours came out and you jumped to the guy's defense, am I right?"

Izar smiled humbly, "Yeah."

"Now that is so you."

"After I helped him out with the bullies on a couple of occasions I passed out during one of the times. I hadn't eaten or slept in a few days so I was running on empty. When I woke up I guess he carried me to his house and I spent the night."

"That's a little out of character for you. Thoth and you weren't ever really the trusting people type." Cyrus said a little stiffly.

"There was just something about him that made me trust him. I guess I was maybe a little eager for somebody at the time. I was really lonely and sad back then. All I did was think back on our days and time together and got so depressed over how all of that had turned into this nightmare that it is now." She said, the mentioning of it made her sad all over again, even though she had found her friend and was nowhere near alone anymore.

Cyrus had stopped doing the dishes, sensing the sadness in Izar's voice. He turned to look over his shoulder slightly, "I'm sorry I left you alone and sad. You know I wouldn't have done it on purpose."

"You don't have to keep apologizing." Izar waved him off.

"I do because I feel guilty. Yet I knew that in my heart as long as you were away from Thoth you would be fine. Akiko said it herself, someone who's as enchanting as you I knew it wouldn't be long before people were tripping over themselves for you."

"Well, you were right. I only spent one night with Chad because I didn't think that staying with him would be a good idea. So I left in the morning and by the end of the night I was found by Kenji and Akiko…"

"In the park sleeping under a tree in the rain. Akiko told me, we talked a little last night while you were out in the porch with your friend." Cyrus interjected again.

"Oh," Izar said coming over to the sink with her plate now. "Well, that's it then I guess. Ever since then I've been staying with Akiko."

"I'm happy to see that you were doing good for yourself, though I expected it from you." Cyrus took her plate to wash it.

"I got to go get ready for school." Izar kneeled up to give him a kiss on the cheek, "Once more, I'm glad to see you again."

Cyrus turned around to give her a smile and ruffle the top of her head. Quickly she got herself ready for school. Coming down the stairs she saw Kenji standing at the door waiting for her.

"Kenji, you don't have to wait for me. Now you're going to be late." She told him.

"I wasn't leaving until you were ready. I like walking with you in the morning before I go with Jiro." He said with a smile.

Izar smiled herself going over and giving Kenji a playful punch on the arm. Cyrus emerged from the kitchen then.

"Hey, you two wouldn't mind if you had one extra, do ya?" he asked.

He stopped in mid-step when he got an eyeful of Izar. His eyes were wide with surprise at first then they crinkled with laugh lines as he started laughing heartily.

"What?" Izar asked annoyed.

"I can't believe you're wearing a skirt." He managed in between breaths.

"Up yours, Cyrus. C'mon Kenji, we're running extremely late." Izar shot Cyrus a look while pushing Kenji out the door.

"Hold on, wait for me." Cyrus called following them out the door.

The trio left the house and started walking down the street. Soon Kenji departed to walk with Jiro who had been waiting for them at the usual spot, leaving Izar and Cyrus alone. Cyrus smiled at Izar but she returned it with a glare.

"I'm still mad at you." She declared turning on her heel and stomping off.

"Who would have figured you have gotten so sensitive." Cyrus chuckled following behind her.

"I already hate wearing this thing. You laughing is not helping at all." She told him heatedly.

Cyrus ran up so he could walk in step beside her, "I was just teasing. Honestly, you look very pretty. You should dress like a girl more often."

"Up yours, Cyrus." Izar said but with a smile. "I think the way I dress is just fine."

"Does Chad like it when you wear skirts?" Cyrus asked her suddenly.

Izar was a little caught off guard with this, "Why do you ask that?" she asked nervously.

"I kinda saw you two out on the porch last night. You had left the door cracked."

Though Cyrus was smiling Izar could see that it was definitely a forced one.

"Chad and I are friends, that's all."

"Friends don't hold each other the way you two do. If you have a boyfriend just tell me." Cyrus persisted.

"Why does it matter if I tell you or not? Not saying that there's anything to tell."

"You know how nosy I am." He said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes, "I mean last night I saw this guy take an arrow to the heart, which really should have killed him, for you. Then I see you two holding each other in a manner that friends don't really hold each other like. I don't want to feel like I'm intruding by popping back in the picture the way I did."

"No, you're not." She reassured him tiredly, already getting tired of the subject, "You can ask Chad yourself. We are just friends." She put emphasis on the word 'friends'.

"I'll take your word for it." Cyrus replied evenly but anybody cold tell that he hardly believed what she told him.

Truthfully it's not like she was lying about her and Chad being friends. They were but in all honesty they were only a few more intense moments away from possibly being the next pair of lovesick teenagers walking up and down the street, holding hands and showing off their, hormonal affections through major PDA. The thought of this made Izar laugh inwardly.

'Yeah right, I hardly see me and Chad as the PDA types.'

Soon she finally arrived at the school and she saw that the courtyard was empty of students showing just how late she was.

"Crap, I'm really late." She huffed.

"I don't understand why you're going to school anyway. All the stuff they teach we already learned back when we were in the lab. What's the purpose?" Cyrus raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's more for social purposes than educational. Akiko figured I needed some friends." Izar explained. "Hey, come to think of it with me at school all day what are you planning on doing with yourself?"

"Don't worry about me. I have plans already. I'll see you later okay, promise." He smiled at her reassuringly.

"Okay, but if I don't see you by night time I'm going to kick your skinny peach colored ass." She threatened him playfully.

"Oooh, wouldn't want that." He laughed walking off.

"No you wouldn't." Izar called to him walking towards the entrance.

Izar wore a smile on her face the whole walk into the school entrance. One that quickly faded when she heard a voice behind her say, "We meet again, huh Izar?"

"Crap." She muttered under her breath.

'Seems I have to kick some tail before first period today.'

Chad's POV

Chad was sitting in class during homeroom not really paying attention to anything going on around him. Ichigo and the others were standing around talking about something before Rukia had come into the room and dragged him away. That seems to be happening a lot with those two anymore. Anyway as Mizuiro and Keigo went back and forth with banter Chad thought about last night. All he ever seemed to think about lately had been Izar. Sure he took breaks here and there to preoccupy himself with other manners such as friends, school, his guitar, etc., but the rest of the time appeared to be dedicated to her. Especially since what happened last night when she was attacked only seconds after he had left her. If they had waited any longer he would have been nowhere near her and probably would have never known what happened to her.

'I promised to protect her and I almost failed last night.' He thought sadly. It wasn't until this morning when he was thinking about how happy he was for Izar being reunited with one of her friends that he started to feel guilty about the events that occurred leading up to Cyrus popping into the picture.

A mere arrow had enough power to prevent him from protecting Izar and if it wasn't for Cyrus stepping in when he did Chad could tell from the sad and remorseful look Izar had in her eyes that she would have went with those two assassins or whatever they were in order not to see him hurt anymore.

'I want to protect her but it keeps turning into her protecting me.'

Despite saying that fighting alongside her would make up for not being exactly able to protect her Chad still was not satisfied with how things elapsed and seem to keep elapsing.

'I need to get stronger. I need to get stronger for her.' He thought determinedly.

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Izar's voice coming in from the hall.

"I thought I made it clear that I'm not interested in you, Nikko." She growled angrily.

Chad perked up at once. Somebody seemed to be bothering her and he found himself becoming angry at this.

"Hey Chad, that sounds like your super hot friend." Keigo said facing him.

"Yeah, it does." Mizuiro agreed.

"Excuse me," Chad said brushing past both of them, making his way out into the hall.

In the hall he saw Izar standing face to face with the school playboy Nikko Kazuto. From her extremely riled expression he could tell that this guy was bothering her greatly.

"C'mon Izar, just one date wouldn't kill you. You don't have a boyfriend and I want you to be my girlfriend. Just give me one chance and I promise you won't regret anything." He said smolderingly as he went to wrap an arm around her waist.

Chad clenched his jaw tight and balled up his fist. He really wanted to punch him in his pretty boy face but he wasn't going to. That would not only be very out of character for him, but it would also break the promise he made to Abuelo of only fighting for the sake of another. So taking a deep breath he coolly approached Izar and Nikko. At this point she had forcefully knocked his hand away from her.

"Can't you keep you filthy hands to yourself?" Izar curled up her lip disgustedly.

"Forgive me, but with such a beautiful body you can't blame me for wanting me to touch it." He practically purred at her.

"Hi Izar," Chad cut in finally as he towered over them both.

"Hiya Chad," Izar gave him a big, relieved smile.

"I'm surprised to see you in school today. How are you feeling? Nothing's bothering you is it?" he asked casting a sideways glance at Nikko when he had asked was anything bothering her.

Izar picked up on the innuendo smiling even broader at it before she answered, "I'm feeling better now, and I have a feeling that whatever was bothering me will go away soon."

As the two friends talked in their coded speech Nikko looked from Izar to Chad coldly, obviously picking up on what both were insinuating. Chad could tell from Nikko's increasingly irritated look that he was none too happy with him jumping in on him making a move.

"Excuse me, but you're very rude. Don't you see I was talking to her?" Nikko gave Chad a pompous and smug glare.

Chad returned his glare with a stoic one of his own, "Sorry about that, but I was feeling you were more of bothering her than talking to her." He said simply.

Izar came to stand next to Chad, "C'mon Chad, you can walk me to my homeroom."

"Okay," he nodded to Izar.

"Seriously Izar, you're going to go with him? You'd rather be around this…gigantic monstrosity than me?" Nikko asked indignantly, his jaw tight from anger and probably embarrassment of being shown up by Chad in the ladies department for once.

Izar's face became murderous as she went to say something but Chad had beaten her to the punch.

"I think the only monstrosity here is the playboy who thinks he's heaven's gift to women and only goes out with girls to boost his already overblown ego. Then when he's tired of stringing them along he dumps them and moves on to the next one."

Nikko's eyes became wide at Chad's audacity. This was probably the first time both boys had even bothered to speak with each other and already it seemed as if it went on any longer it would be reduced to blows.

With his face turning a deep red from anger Nikko sputtered out, "Wha…what the hell did you just say to me you big oaf?"

"I said that you should take a look at yourself before you go around spewing out names to other people. Now excuse me," with that he took Izar by the hand and led her away from the still angry and dumbfounded Nikko.

"Bravo Chad." Izar said mischievously, smiling to match her tone.

Chad made sure not to look directly at it or he might have been tempted to try to kiss her again like last night.

"I've never had much respect for that guy and the way he treats the girls around here, but I wasn't even going to let him think he had a chance with you."

"I know you probably will just brush it off but thank you. Obviously me beating him up isn't enough for him to take a hint."

Abruptly, a loud crashing noise from Chad's homeroom made both of them stop in their tracks.

"What the heck? Is something else chaotic and weird going to interrupt our day again?" Izar thought out loud as she and Chad quickly made their way back towards his classroom.

They walked inside to see a very peculiar scene unfolding in front of them. While a majority of the class was on one side of the room, seeming to be cowering away from the skeptical in the midst of them was Tatsuki tossing desks around the classroom, seemingly aiming for Ichigo.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Izar asked with a smile, finding the events unfolding amusing, "Hey Ichigo!" she called into the classroom, "What did you do to her?"

"Something weird is going on with Ichigo." Mizuiro explained as he and Keigo had appeared beside them.

"What do you mean?" Chad asked.

"He's just been out of the norm. He's been hitting on all the girls in the classroom. It's just weird." Keigo answered.

"Really?" Izar smiled watching as Tatsuki threw more desks at the retreating Ichigo.

"Excuse me, out of my way." Rukia's voice said as she appeared from behind them.

Izar and Chad stepped out of the way as she came charging into the classroom.

"Hey Rukia," Izar greeted her.

Once again, Chad noticed the scornful and analytical glare Rukia had cast at Izar. It quickly evaporated as she said, "Hello Izar."

"Hey, you know what's up with Ichigo? He's acting funny." Izar told her pointing towards the scene in the classroom.

"Let's just say I have a hunch." Rukia said seriously, "Stop, right there!" she called over to him.

Ichigo turned around to Rukia. At the sight of her his face became riddled with fear resembling the look of a child that just gotten caught red handed doing something bad.

"It's over." Rukia said to him.

Ichigo at that moment went to make a run for the window.

"Ichigo, look out." Rukia warned.

As soon as the words left her mouth Ichigo had stopped just inches before jumping out of the window. Chad saw the reason for this was because another Ichigo had jumped into the window, blocking the other Ichigo's retreat.

"Whoa, there's two Ichigos." Izar whispered to Chad.

"But how?" Chad whispered back.

Izar shrugged for an answer, "Look, Ichigo's fighting Ichigo." She said with a smile.

"Nice to see you're amused by this." He heard Rukia mutter harshly.

"Hey, who's Ichigo fighting? The invisible man?" commented one classmate, staring at the fight but obviously, not seeing the other Ichigo.

"Yeah, why's he kicking the air like that?" said another confusedly.

"Who cares?!" retorted the still fuming Tatsuki.

"Nobody else can see the other Ichigo." Izar muttered, saying out loud what Chad was thinking.

The one Ichigo had then kicked the other into the already jumbled up desk, making him slide across the floor.

'I'm pretty sure everybody saw that.' Chad thought as he watched his classmates expressions go wide eyed at the seemingly invisible presence disturbing the desk around them.

Then the other Ichigo gave Rukia a mischievous smirk before taking a header out of the window.

Rukia and Izar both rushed to the window and peered out of it, being joined by the original Ichigo. Rukia had went sprinting out of back out of the door, obviously going in pursuit of the other Ichigo, leaving Izar still looking out the window. He knew something was up then. It seemed every time those two were together something was.

"Wasn't that, Rukia?" Mizuiro asked.

"I don't know. I didn't see a thing." Keigo said shakily, his hands over his eyes.

Chad went over to the window with Izar, "You think we should help?" she asked him quietly.

"I think Rukia and Ichigo has this thing covered." Chad said.

"Who cares about her!" the two heard Tatsuki say behind them, "Ichigo, I swear when I get you." She growled as a fiery, crackling aura surrounded her.

"Reminds me of Cyrus," Izar said with an uneasy smile at Tatsuki.

"I think it's demonic." Chad replied.

"What was it exactly that he did to you anyway?" Izar called over to her with a smirk throwing her hand on her hip.

"He took advantage of me and Orihime." She spat out.

"Oh calm down, Tatsuki. You're overreacting." Soothed the sweet and cheery voice of the orange haired girl appearing at her side. "Besides, that wasn't Ichigo anyway." She added more seriously.

"Well, aren't you cute." Izar complimented, "However Ichigo hardly comes off as the playboy type. Definitely something wrong."

Suddenly the school bell rang.

"Oh, crap. At this rate they'll think I'm absent." Izar cursed running out the classroom.

She brushed past Chad and the others on her hurry out the door. However she doubled back, wrapped her arms around Chad from behind and gave him as big of a squeeze as she could. Once she was done she ran off again. Chad peeked out into the hall to watch Izar disappear into the crowd of kids. Sighing deeply he smiled slightly at her small gesture that she made sure she gave to him.

Cyrus's POV

After he had left Izar at school Cyrus went out to find the old shop that he had come to know so well. Shortly afterwards he came upon the shop.

"Looks exactly how I left it. Except I guess they got around to patching up the huge scorch mark I did." He thought out loud.

"Yeah, and it wasn't easy or cheap either. A lot of my time and money went into those repairs." He heard a voice from behind him complain playfully.

"Kisuke Urahara." Cyrus turned around with a knowing smirk on his lips.

"Cyrus Jovani, was it? Sorry, it's just over an amount of time some things escape me." Kisuke said, feigning his bad memory.

"I know it's been long, but you of all people should know I was busy this past year or so."

"I know, I was just teasing. Come on in and have some tea with me. We have major catching up to do." Kisuke said walking inside the shop with Cyrus in tow.

"Hey guys, look whose back." He announced when they were inside.

Tessai, Ururu, and Ginta all piled into the front of the shop.

"Ah, Cyrus, it's good to see you again after so long." Tessai said stiffly.

"Good to see you're still sporting that apron so well." Cyrus told him jokingly, though honestly the man did sport the apron well.

"Oh, it's hot head. Are you back to burn the rest of the shop down, huh?" Ginta said in his token obnoxious tone.

'I don't care how long I've been away I will never miss this kid.' Cyrus thought evilly, glaring at the loudmouth red head.

"How about I just roast you instead?" Cyrus shot back with a cruelly sarcastic smile.

"Now, now you two. The last thing I want is a fight on such a happy occasion." Kisuke soothed the two flaming hot heads, "Tessai, fetch me and Cy some tea."

"Right away, Kisuke." Tessai said running off to fetch the tea.

As they past Ginta and Ururu to go into the back Cyrus ruffled the girl's hair. She smiled shyly, "It's nice to see you again, mister Cyrus." She said softly.

Cyrus knew the little girl had a thing for him. That's why he was always her saving grace when Ginta would get extra harsh with her when he thought nobody was looking.

Kisuke and him took a seat at the table once they entered the room. Tessai quickly fluttered into the room with their tea.

"So when did you get back?" Kisuke asked after Tessai put a cup of tea in front of him.

"Yesterday." Cyrus said, "Thank you, Tessai." He said politely as a cup of tea was placed in front of him before he left the room.

"Yesterday? Wonder what took you so long to come visit." Kisuke said mischievously, "Visiting someone else?"

"You know I had to go check up on her. She's the reason I'm back actually. While I was busying myself fighting off the latest horde Thoth tossed at me he also dispatched two of his underlings to go fetch Cellie." He explained sipping his tea.

"Cellie, is she alright?"

"I did show up a little late. One of her wings was hurt and her back is all jacked up. I got them back for her though. Wasted them right where they stood." Cyrus gritted through his clenched jaw, watching how his temper was boiling the tea in his cup.

He hated the fact that Izar ended up getting hurt because he had shown up late. If only he was there sooner.

"Calm down there fireball. Can't afford another of your temper tantrums." Kisuke said staring at Cyrus nervously.

Cyrus hadn't realized his anger had activated his powers again. His aura was starting up and the tea was evaporating in the cup. Cyrus sighed deeply, putting his powers back in check. No matter how strong or how much more control he could get over his powers it seemed his temper will always be his Achilles heel.

"Sorry about that. I'm just feeling a little guilty and out of whack right now." Cyrus admitted.

"Really? About what?"

"Let's just say my reunion with Cellie, or Izar now that she's here, didn't really go like I wanted it to."

"Oh, do tell." Kisuke smirked.

"Besides her getting hurt after the cronies gotten hold of her, I sort of found out that she moved on in a way I didn't expect. My original plan was to lead her to you, so you could look after her while I was gone."

"I know that already Cyrus. Remember it was my idea that she came here to train like you did, but of course she never got around to showing up."

"Yeah, the reason was she had charmed her way into someone else's heart and household. She was staying there low key for a year. When I came back I found out she inherited a surrogate mother, little brother, and a…" he found himself being unable to speak the next word.

"A what?" Kisuke pressed on.

Cyrus took another deep breath, then another, "I think she's got a boyfriend now. Some big, strong, muscle head with floppy hair and a guitar."

"Oh." Kisuke said understandingly.

When he had Cyrus spill the whole story to him a year ago Cyrus let Kisuke know how deep his feelings for his one best friend Cellie was. Kisuke knew how much Cyrus only wanted to protect her and take care her. That was pretty much his whole mission in life after everything with Thoth went down.

"Are you sure he's her boyfriend?" Kisuke asked hopefully, frowning at his friend's glum expression.

"She denies it, dropping the whole 'just friends' line." He said making air quotes with his fingers. "But I saw them together."

"Were they kissing and stuff?"

"No, but don't you know how you can look at two people and see how perfect they are together, how the chemistry is just there regardless of how platonic the relationship might be. Well, that's how I felt when I was walking home with them after the fight. I saw how they seemed so comfortable when they were walking side by side. I remember the way she was holding his head in her lap after he took that arrow in her place."

"He took an arrow for her?" Kisuke said surprised and slightly amused.

"Yeah, what guy would do that if he didn't have deep feelings for a girl? I mean he full on went out of his way to protect her last night. I even got an eyeful myself of how protective he is of her. I saw him holding her." Cyrus's voice was dropping with every second he spent talking about the subject.

The image of Chad holding Izar popped back into his head. He tried his hardest to keep the image away but it kept coming back, bringing the same sense of jealousy and longing he had when he saw it.

"Well Cy, people get along well all the time. It doesn't mean they're dating and good friends can hug each other without there being anything romantic involved." Kisuke suggested.

"You don't hold a friend the way he was holding her." Cyrus said strongly, "Even if she doesn't return his affections I can tell from the look he gets in his eye every time he stares at her that he has feelings. Cellie's a beautiful, strong, magnificent person. I know how irresistible her charms are, I'm a victim myself. I know there's something there between them."

"Alright, say there is some romantic tension there. Are you really going to throw in the towel that easy? I mean, yeah, this guy might have her interest for the moment but you've dedicated your entire life to her whether she realizes that or not. That's more than ten times the time this guy's had with her. Maybe somewhere down the line she'll realize that what she wanted is what was always right in front of her. You." He pointed a finger at him.

Cyrus hardly bought anything that Kisuke had just said but it did give him some kind of hope.

"Well, enough of my love life…"

"Or your lack of one." Kisuke interjected jokingly.

"The reason I came here besides to see an old friend, I was wondering if that offer to train Cellie, excuse me, Izar is still open?"

"Of course, I enjoyed training you. I wished it hadn't ended so soon. Training her should be just as enjoyable for me. Bring her by the shop whenever you're ready." Kisuke said ecstatically. "It would be so nice to match the clearly beautiful face with the name."

"She has to get really strong, Kisuke. If Thoth sends for her again I want her to be able to handle herself when I'm not around."

"Okay then." Kisuke tipped the brim of his hat higher so it didn't cover his eyes as much, "I'm happy you're back in town, Cy. Between you and me I sort of missed you. Are you sure that charm of yours isn't a power secretly?"

"If it is then I enjoy it. It gets me things I want." Cyrus smiled finally.

'Except one thing.' He added in his head.

Izar's POV

At school it was nearing lunchtime and Izar had gone to the bathroom to answer nature's call. Coming out of the stall she went to the sink and was in the process of washing her hands when a group of four girls walked into the bathroom. Izar didn't pay them any attention until she noticed how all of them were circled around her at the sink. When she turned around she was met with a shove to her shoulder, knocking her back against the sink. This caused her already hurt back to be renewed in its level of pain. At her wincing and holding her back the girls around her grinned evilly.

"What the hell was that for?" she growled at them, taking everything in her not to deck every single one of them.

"That was for Nikko and the way you treated him earlier." Replied the girl standing in front of her, apparently the leader.

"Yeah, word has gotten all around school about how you stood there and dissed Nikko to go off with that really tall, weird, quiet guy from group three. How poor can a girl's taste get?" spat another girl standing on the side lines.

"Yeah, I mean a good looking girl like you should have a good eye when it comes to guys, but I guess not all us princesses want princes." Sneered another girl.

"Uh huh, some would rather have big, fat, ugly frogs." giggled yet another one meanly.

'Oh hell no,' Izar thought angrily, clenching her jaw tight, 'They are not talking about my Chad like that.'

Before any of the girl's knew what happened Izar had pounced on the girl standing in the middle. She grabbed the front of her shirt and ran her backwards until they both burst into the stall behind them and she stumbled onto the toilet bowl. Just her luck the seat of the toilet was raised so the girl fell right in with a splash. She cried out in horror at what happened as Izar backed out of the stall smiling. She turned around to face the other girls who were standing around open mouthed.

"Get her!" the girl in the toilet bowl commanded the others.

All their eyes went to Izar, most of them were shaking with fear at the prospect of what else she could probably do to them. Still one girl took a chance and started towards Izar. She went to scratch out Izar's eye but Izar was able to grab her hand. She then grabbed the bottom of Izar's hair, which was easy considering its length, and started tugging on it hard. Just as Izar reared back to punch her in the face a voice called out, "Hey, what's going on here?"

All eyes turned towards the door. Standing there was the tall, spiky haired girl from earlier who was throwing the desk at Ichigo along with her pretty orange haired friend with the enormous bust behind her.

"Are you girls causing trouble again?" she hollered at the rest of them, "Leave that girl alone. Or you'll have me to deal with, got it?" she growled at them.

The ring leader finally escaped from her prison inside the toilet bowl and sloshed her way out of the bathroom, pushing past everybody angrily, "Bring your asses." She shouted at the others.

The girl Izar was fighting let go of her hair, then snatched her hand out of Izar's. Izar gave the girl one last shove of the shoulders for the road. The shove sent her flying into the rest of the retreating girls, making them stumble out of the bathroom in a hilarious domino effect. They all scurried away embarrassed beyond belief leaving Izar laughing hysterically.

"What were they doing to you?" the orange haired girl asked her sweetly.

"Trying to scare me or something. I wasn't really paying them much mind until they touched me." Izar shrugged nonchalantly.

"Those girls are always staring trouble. Especially with girl's that captures the interest of one Nikko Kazuto." The spiky haired girl said with a knowing smile.

"So word _is_ getting around about my turning him down." Izar said raising an eyebrow.

"My name is Orihime Inoue." Introduced the orange haired girl.

"And I'm Tatsuki Arisawa." Greeted the other girl.

"I'm Izar Chaosi."

"That's such a pretty name." Orihime gasped, "You're such a pretty girl. It matches greatly."

"Why, thank you." She said feeling very flattered. "You are so sweet." She gushed at her. "And thanks for helping me out back there, if you hadn't shown up I'm pretty sure I would have ended up fighting them and I didn't want to hurt them."

"Ah, tough girl, huh?" Tatsuki smiled amusingly at her, "Nice to know there's another girl who's a fighter around here. All these darn prissy little dolls just make everything boring."

"Hey Izar, who do you sit with at lunchtime?" Orihime asked as the three girls left from out of the bathroom.

"I usually sit with Chad and his friends, but honestly I don't think Ichigo likes me that much. Him and that Rukia girl." Izar said.

"Ichigo is just naturally like that. Don't worry yourself about that, as for the new girl I don't know her story." Tatsuki replied.

"Well, anyway I was asking because I was wondering if maybe you wanted to sit with us today. I'm sure Chad wouldn't mind missing his girlfriend for a lunch date." Orihime giggled cutely.

"Hold on there, I'm not his girlfriend." Izar corrected.

'Geez, everybody seems interested in my love life all of a sudden.'

"Then what are you to him? Everyone who knows Chad confirms that you two are a little too cozy for being just friends." Tatsuki persisted.

"I mean you don't have to be his girlfriend per se, Izar." Orihime continued, "But will you at least admit you like Chad?"

Both of the girls turned amused glares on Izar. Izar wondered for a moment if she should say so. Chad knew she liked him, she knew that he obviously liked her. The question was were either of them ready to have it put out into the open yet. Anybody can confirm the minute word got around of two people liking each other you might as well say you're a couple because that's how everyone was going to treat you. Izar already told Chad she definitely did not want to rush into anything romantic with him because she wanted to find out just how deep her feelings for Chad were and when she felt her life could handle something as simple as a boyfriend. The whole fighting bad guys and trying not to let your now psychotic ex-best friend capture you for whatever reason he wants you just didn't seem to be the greatest setting for a love story.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't like him." Izar answered finally. "I just don't think now is the best time to be his girlfriend yet."

"Oh, why not?" Orihime whined.

"I'm going through some things right now and I think that they will be little less complicated on my part if I keep Chad at a distance."

The bell rang for lunch hour and soon kids started spilling into the hall.

"Yay, lunch hour. Now you can sit with me, Tatsuki, and the others and tell us all about how you and Chad first met, and you can trade lunches with me and see how good of a cook I am." Orihime then gripped Izar's wrist in her hand and started dragging her through the crowd.

"Orihime, we wanted her sit with us. I don't want you scaring her off with those lunches you make." Tatsuki called running after the two.

Ichigo's POV

"Great another day of school I missed all because of this thing." Ichigo complained examining the small little green marble he was holding in his fingers. "What do you suggest I do with it, huh Rukia?" he asked but he didn't get an answer.

"Rukia?" he looked down at her to see her face was fixed with deep thought. "Hey Rukia, something bothering you again?"

Rukia broke from her thoughtful trance, "Yes, Ichigo there is."

"Is it Izar again? I mean you already explained to me that the girl can be dangerous and all but honestly every time I see her besides the weird feeling she gives me all I see in her is a tomboy with a thing for Chad. She doesn't come off as such an evil person."

"That's part of the act that they put on. It's rumored that its one of their powers." Rukia explained.

Ichigo thought back onto the night Rukia had explained everything to him after the business with Chad and the cockatiel was finally settled. According to what Rukia had explained to him, the reason Izar had been there was because she had helped her and Chad fight off the hollow, having the capability to flat out destroy it if she had continued. However Rukia had stopped her in time. Rukia had told him that from the powers that Izar had shown she had realized that her assumptions about Izar were true. She was one of three beings called the Empyrean Angels, a trio of four winged beings with marks on their left eyes who hold great powers that have no barriers or limits to how destructive they can be. Nobody knows for sure where the trio had came from, why they were there, or anything outside the fact that everywhere these three had shown up, horrible things had happened, then they would disappear without a trance until they popped up somewhere else and the same thing happened all over again. It was what the Soul Society referred to as The Empyrean's Cycle of Destruction.

From the little bit of information the Soul Society could get on them it was stated that the trio had consisted of two young men and a young girl. Nobody knows the trio's powers for sure, but there was speculation that they had something to do with the marks over their eyes. This was concluded as one of the young men has a sun mark over his eye and seems to have powers over fire and heat of all sources. Another thing put on file, was as of now they were certain that the young man with the crescent moon mark was not only the leader but possibly the strongest out of the three. Now all of this was purely speculation based on eyewitness accounts and the like but not much has been confirmed as solid proof. However after seeing Izar in action and seeing the Empyrean Angel interact with people herself Rukia could clarify two things for herself.

It was speculated that the trio had a certain trance that they could cast over people. When the witnesses were questioned about how the Empyreans had acted or how they had behaved leading up to these horrible events later they all said that from the little time they had spent with them they all had very different personalities. The girl, who's mark was a star and said to be the most beautiful out of all three marks, was described as adorable and bright with a strong defensive and scrappy streak, often getting into altercations for various purposes. Whether it was to defend her honor or the honor of another she gladly fought hard for it. The sun boy was described as the most social and friendly out of the group with a very bad temper and was easily angered, every time he became angry it was described that heat would radiate off of him and practically set a place on fire if he didn't calm himself down. The moon boy was described to be the most mature and level headed of the three with a stoic, almost aristocratic and gentlemanly persona.

Yet outside of all the contrast in their personalities one thing kept popping up amongst all three of them. The witnesses often said that any one of the trio could charm the socks off of anybody they came in contact with. Even the coldest, most detestable person would give into their charms. People had admitted to becoming so enchanted by the trio's good looks and unwavering allure many said they either became infatuated or absolutely fixated with them. Pretty much the way Chad was now with Izar. Although Izar seems to initiate a lot of the time and intimate contact they have with each other Ichigo and Rukia have seen for themselves that Chad was going headfirst into whatever it was that he and Izar had with each other.

"Honestly Ichigo, I wouldn't be the least bit shocked if Chad wasn't full blown infatuated with Izar by now." He remembered Rukia saying after she finished explaining everything.

"I know it's hard to believe that she could do the things that she and her friends have done, believe me I found myself being allured and flattered by her myself. That's what they do, they rope you in, seducing you with their charm, good looks, and alluring personalities, then they one day destroy everything you know and leave without a trance to do the same thing." Rukia said softly.

"Does anyone know why they do this?" Ichigo asked.

"No, all the information we have is purely speculation and details from eye witness accounts. We have reason to believe that they were from a dimension that the Soul Society knew nothing about, then one day that dimension was destroyed. So they had been traveling all over, I guess in search of a new home, but somewhere down the line I guess they became bored or whatever and would leave the city in ruins. The last place they were was completely annihilated to nothing but rubble." Rukia explained.

"You said there were three of them. How come I've only seen Izar? Where's the other two?" Ichigo pressed on.

"I think they might have gotten separated from each other. That's why there hasn't been any sign of them recently." Rukia said thoughtfully.

"Now that you mention it, she did say something about how she was looking for her friends when we first met her." Ichigo recalled.

"So she's trying to get back with them. I'll have to contact the Soul Society with this information. Ichigo, as hard as this might be for you and him, I'm going to have to ask you to try to make Chad distance himself from Izar."

"Huh, why?" Ichigo asked shocked.

He understood Rukia's concerns but Ichigo had to admit that Izar has sort of helped Chad in the time she has been around him. He's seemed to have gotten more confident and happier and little more open to others. Why today he stood up to the school playboy Nikko Kazuto. Something Chad would have probably never had done if it wasn't Izar he was messing with.

"The reason I'm asking this is because if Chad has fallen under the spell that her kind are known for casting the he will stop at nothing to protect her if we decide to arrest her."

"You're going to arrest her?"

"Yes, to the Soul Society she is one of the most wanted. We will arrest her, keep her for questioning and if we can prove that she has done all the horrible things that she's being accused of then we will execute her." Rukia said seriously.

"You're going to kill her if you can prove she's dangerous?"

"We would have to, Ichigo. The reason she's deemed so dangerous is because she has the power to destroy entire worlds if she wanted to. We have to make sure she can never get that chance. I know it sounds harsh but look at where her potential next target is Ichigo. It's your home, it's your city, your family and friends lives that will be destroyed next."

"But who's to say that she'll do it again. Maybe there's a reason she won't destroy everything. Maybe she really likes Chad and won't do it because she cares about him too much." Ichigo suggested persistently.

Sure, he didn't know the girl like that. Perhaps she isn't one of his best friends but he still liked her. Especially considering how happy she made Chad and how friendly and kind she was with him. Not to mention he was still in slight denial that Izar was capable of doing what Rukia was accusing her of.

"That's the thing Ichigo, who's to say she really does have feelings for Chad? Maybe she's just using his feelings for her to her advantage. She might be using him so when we decide to confront her he'll protect her." Rukia said.

Ichigo sighed frustrated. He wanted to end this conversation, it was getting him riled up. "Whatever, let's just stop talking about this."

"Fine, we will." Rukia huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"The question now is what am I going to do with this thing?" he inspected the marble he was still holding between his fingers. As he neared the construction site he saw an old stuff lion toy situated on a pile of bags, "Hey, this might work." He said grabbing the toy.

********************************************************************************************************************

First off, those of you who bother to go back and watch the episodes will notice that the time slot in this piece is slightly off with the original one, but like I said before I'm not perfect and neither is my memory. Just work with me and enjoy the story.

Secondly, I really didn't like this chapter so I don't blame you if you didn't either but I wanted to get a few things out of the way, like Izar getting to know Orihime and Tatsuki because the three of them are going to become really close over the duration of the story. Especially Orihime and Izar because she's going to need the cutesy and busty little heroine after another unexpected reunion happens. Stay tuned and review.


	13. Chapter 13

This chapter is when the impending love triangle known as Chad, Izar, and Cyrus starts to rear its ugly, envious head. It's going to get serious. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything Bleach. I only own my OCs Izar, Cyrus, and Thoth.

********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Thirteen: Izar, Chad, and Cyrus

Izar's POV

That afternoon Chad and Izar resumed their routine of walking home together.

"I missed you at lunch today." Chad said breaking the silence between them.

"I was spending it with those girls from your class. The spiky haired girl and the really pretty orange haired girl. They invited me to come sit with them. Hope you didn't mind." Izar said with big apologetic eyes.

"No, it's nice you're meeting new friends. Tatsuki and Orihime are nice girls to hang with." Chad said.

"I know, Orihime is so cute and nice. Her appetite is sort of weird though. She wanted to trade lunches with me and frankly her combination of food was rather weird." She said recalling the weird combination of food that was in the box lunch she had traded with her.

Truthfully Izar did find herself eating the food she was given but it was more out of being polite to her new friend's feelings.

Chad silently smiled at her, it disappeared as he asked "So how are things with Cyrus going?"

"Oh, they're going as good as they can. He told me what he did when he first got here, what he's been up to in the last year, things like that. Then he cooked me, Akiko, and Kenji breakfast, then walked me to school."

"He's sounds like a nice guy." Chad commented placidly.

"Yeah, he is, but I can't help feeling that a lot's changed about him. There's something bothering him, I know there is. A couple of things are bothering him I think, but I promised that I wouldn't pester him about things he didn't want to talk about."

"Did he say how long he was going to be staying?" Chad asked.

"I don't know for sure but something tells me he's going to be around for awhile." Izar admitted with a small grin.

"So you're going to be spending a lot of time catching up with each other?"

Izar looked at Chad's face to see his usually stoic expression seemed kind of strained, like he was trying to keep a certain emotion from crossing his face. Izar started to notice that since yesterday all these two very important guys in her life kept doing was ask and comment about the other. She was starting to wonder why.

"Chad, are you worried that with Cyrus back in my life I'll start ignoring you or something?" she asked him.

Chad didn't say anything but the way he hung his head low told her that she was right.

"Why do you think I would do something like that?" Izar asked.

Chad shrugged, "It's just you missed him a lot and I was just thinking that with him around you would want to spend a little more time with him than me." He admitted.

"Chad, I wouldn't do that to you. Cyrus is very important to me but so are you, Chad. I won't favor one of you over the other or anything like that." She assured him, slowly reaching her hand over to his.

Still very slowly she took his hand in hers, and laced her fingers through his.

'I can't get over how warm he feels.' She thought starting to rub her thumb against his hand.

She looked up to see Chad's was staring down at their hands, somewhat in shock at her holding his hand.

"What's up?" she asked him nervously, wondering if this was a good thing to do.

"Nothing," he lied adverting his gaze from their hands.

They both walked hand in hand in absolute silence until they finally came to Izar's house. Izar hated awkward silences but secretly she was happy for this one because she took this time to marinate on how much she liked holding Chad's hand and wondering if she could get used to the idea of holding it as his girlfriend. Right now she might not have wanted him as her boyfriend but who's to say that somewhere in the future when and if this whole thing with Thoth manages to blow over she wouldn't want to settle down then?

"Are you coming in today?" she asked looking up at him when they stopped at the end of the walkway.

Chad shook his head, "I have some things to do today. I would have liked to though."

"It's alright." Izar smiled still rubbing her thumb on his hand.

"Izar, I was sort of wondering…" he started lowly but drifted off.

"What?"

"I wanted to know maybe if you wanted to spend some alone time with me after school tomorrow." His face blushed the brightest shade as he asked her this.

"You're asking me out?" she asked trying to hide the bubbly feeling she was getting in the pit of her stomach.

"Not on a date, just some time between you and me. Like that night you stayed with me."

Images of that night flashed through Izar's mind the moment he mentioned it. For over the year before she had met up with Chad again it was what she secretly thought about sometimes. Him stroking her wings, holding her next to him, him just being the Chad that she liked and cared about so much.

"Sure." Izar smiled broadly.

Chad smiled too, "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Alright." Izar said taking her hand out of his grasp.

She could tell from both of their expressions that neither one had wanted to let go and were greatly disappointed when they did. Izar's hand still felt warm from him holding it, she actually found herself staring at it before bringing it down to her side.

"Um…Izar," Chad said shakily.

Wondering why she looked up at him just in time for him to bend down and place a small kiss on the side of her face, barely missing her lips. Izar felt her insides flutter at his sudden action. For once she was left stunned as he quickly pulled away from her and stood up.

"See you later." He said quickly before turning on his heel and walking away from her.

"L…later." She stuttered softly, her hand going to touch the place where he had just kissed her.

She walked inside the house in a daze, still touching the spot where Chad's lips had kissed her. Closing the door behind her she kicked off her shoes and went to make her way up the steps before somebody exaggeratedly clearing their throat caught her attention. She turned around to see Cyrus leaning in the doorway of the living room, staring at her with an indescribable look. Izar face instantly heated up and she snatched her hand away from her face. Something told her that Cyrus had seen everything that had just happened between her and Chad, and she didn't know why but she suddenly felt really guilty.

"Hi Cyrus," she said, her voice rattling like a baby toy.

"Hey Izar," he greeted simply but his expression stayed tight and unreadable.

The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Izar had tried to make a move for the stairs.

"So are you still going to drop the just friends line like before?" he asked, his tone almost mocking.

Izar turned around to face him, "Chad and I aren't dating, Cyrus. I wish this sudden interest in my relationship with Chad would just go away along with you two's interest in each other. Frankly, it's getting on my nerves." She scowled at him.

Cyrus's expression then changed from indescribable to questioning, "What do you mean our interest in each other?"

"Just how you keep pestering me about Chad and what he is to me Chad asked questions about you today." She told him going up the staircase.

"What was he asking?" Cyrus's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he went to follow her up the stairs.

"Not much, just a question or two about how long were you staying and if I was going to be spending a lot of time with you." She told him over her shoulder as she reached the top.

"It's none of his damn business how long I'm staying." Cyrus said angrily.

Izar stopped in tracks and turned around to see Cyrus's eyes flaring with anger at what she said.

"What are you getting all upset about?" Izar asked him surprised, "I see that temper of yours hasn't improved any. It seems to have gotten worse."

"Anything about me or about you and me isn't any of his business." Cyrus replied strongly.

"Then I can say the same about the way you've been with me and Chad. It's none of your business." She said getting right into his face, having it only inches from his.

He stared at her hard, his jaw clenched tight and she stared just as hard back at him. The stare down lasted for about a whole minute before Cyrus finally turned away and went back down the steps. Becoming racked with anxiety over him leaving Izar was quickly on his heels.

"Where are you going?" she called to him over the railing when she was halfway down the steps.

She was watching him as he was leaving out the door, "Don't worry, Iz." He said lowly and soothingly. He looked over his shoulder at her and smirked charmingly, "I'm not leaving you. I'll be back later, wait for me, okay?" with that he closed the door behind him.

Not satisfied at all with what he said Izar jumped down the rest of the stairs, bolted for the door and flung it open. She had just caught Cyrus as he flapped his fiery colored wings and shot into the sky. Stirred up dust blinded Izar for a minute, as soon as she could swat it away to clear a sight path for her she looked up to see the little dot with wings that Cyrus had become.

Cyrus's POV

"None of my business, huh?" he thought out loud as he skyrocketed across the sky as fast as he could go.

His hair whipped away from his face and the speed he was going made the wind slightly ripple the excess skin on his cheeks. His blood pumped faster in his veins being the only thing he could hear outside of the air he was zooming through.

"I'll make it my business." He said glancing down at the city below him, "Where are you, muscle boy?" he scanned the streets below him.

The instant he recognized that large stature and that dark, floppy hair Cyrus zeroed in on him. Bending his wings he shot his entire body straight and let himself freefall down towards the boy like a hawk that was going in for its prey. As soon as he was at the height of a nearby building he snapped his wings open making them catch the air. His had body jolted hard as he came to a slow stop just inches before hitting the ground in an alley. Stepping down the remainder of the space between the ground and him Cyrus quickly furled up his wings and walked out of the alley. He looked around quickly spotting Chad across the street from him. He stepped out into traffic, narrowly missing being squashed across the tar by a car. He paid the angry driver's verbal assault no mind as he went for his target. Chad had been wearing a headset upside down on his head. Cyrus walked up behind him and knocked the things from their perch to get his attention, "Hey,"

Catching his earphones before they could hit the ground Chad turned around. Cyrus had to admit he could sort of see his competition in the guy. He was taller, better built, and more rugged and manly looking than him. His dark skin and floppy hair added to his looks making him fit the whole tall, dark, and mysterious appeal. He knew because of being the strong girl she was Izar was probably attracted to his masculinity and felt he could handle her better than some clean cut pretty boy. Yet seeing he was his competition made Cyrus start to see the things he had over Chad. Sure he wasn't as muscular or as rugged, but he knew he was good-looking and more of fit the social mold of being handsome better than Chad.

"Hey, you're Cyrus." Chad said in that deep, bass filled voice Cyrus was certain he hadn't heard until now.

'Great, Izar is a sucker for deep voices. That's why she always paid attention to Thoth better than me.' He thought bitterly, thinking back on one time Izar had confirmed this herself.

While they were out in the market place one day, there was a salesman who had a really deep voice. Although she didn't buy anything Izar had stood there for awhile just listening to him talk. Cyrus had noticed and later teased her mercilessly about it. She did it to Thoth at times too, just sat there and listened to him talk.

"Yeah, and you're Chad, right?" Cyrus asked him.

He simply nodded as his answer.

"We need to talk about something." Cyrus told him.

"It's about Izar." He stated, not asked.

"How'd you figure?"

"That's the only thing you and me could have to talk to each other about. There's nothing else."

"Yeah, you're right. It's about her. C'mon, let's walk and talk." Cyrus ordered him, Chad obliged.

"So what's going on with Izar that you want to talk about? Is she in danger?" Chad asked him.

"Yeah, but that was going on way before you even entered the picture and I already have that covered at the moment so don't worry about it." Cyrus said rather roughly, making sure that Chad got the hinted at point he was sending to him. "No, it's not that."

"What is it then?"

"Let's not beat around the bush or anything time wasting like that. Izar, you have feelings for her right?" Cyrus put out blatantly.

"Yeah, and you?" Chad said boldly but when Cyrus looked at his face he could tell from the blush that he was trying to hide that this was a big thing to admit for him.

"Yep, loved her since the first time I saw her." Cyrus said mentally adding, 'That was long before you, buddy.'

"The same here." Chad admitted, his blush residing some.

"Now with that out of the way, let me put this out there. Would you be jealous if I started making moves on Izar?" he asked.

Chad was quiet for a moment, then answered, "I really can't say. She's not my girlfriend but I guess I could say that I don't like it when other guys hit on her considering how I acted with Nikko today." He explained.

"Nikko? Who the hell is he?" Cyrus questioned angrily.

"Another guy who's interested in Izar, but don't worry. She can't stand the guy." Chad assured him.

'Guess I got to make another appointment after this one.' Cyrus thought annoyed.

"Anyway, I'll deal with that later, the point I was trying to get at is that you said you would get jealous if you saw another guy putting the moves on Iz. Well, how do you think I feel?"

"Are you saying seeing me with Izar makes you upset?"

"Uh yeah, it does. Greatly." Cyrus answered smart-alecky.

"I'm sorry but I can't help the way I feel about Izar anymore than I can help if I want to express it. So if you came to tell me to back off or something I'll let you know you're wasting your time." He said, his stoic tone taking on a protective and slightly confrontational edge.

Cyrus stopped walking to stare Chad in the face, as did Chad.

"Very brazen of you." Cyrus said raising an eyebrow, "But my intention wasn't to try to scare you away from Izar. I just wanted to let you know that if you happen to catch me hugged up with her or stealing kisses the way I see you've been doing than I expect you to be a good sport too. Just like I have." Cyrus felt his expression go smug as he saw how Chad lowered his eyes and his jaw line tightened.

"Izar told me earlier that both of us are very important to her, Cyrus. I don't want things between us to be like this." Chad told him.

"Like what?" Cyrus challenged.

"Some big rivalry for Izar like she's a prize to be won. She has feelings, too. Ones that we both obviously care about. The last thing I want to do is make her feel stuck in the middle. You know just as well as I do that it'll tear her apart. If it keeps thing from getting too ugly I won't kiss her anymore until I'm certain she wants me as her boyfriend." He offered.

"You know, you do have a point but you have to understand. I've loved Izar for a long time. How long have you two known each other?"

"Almost a year, but to be honest we've only recently got back into the picture with each other again."

"See? I have known her all her life and a damn good portion of mine's outside of almost two years. One year of that time I spent away from her for her own good, but now I'm back and basically I'm tired of holding back my feelings. Just as you said you couldn't help it if you wanted to express your feelings to her. I don't want to wait anymore. You get that, right?"

Chad nodded at what Cyrus had said.

"Now I'm really not trying to rub the time factor in you face," Cyrus lied, "But you have to see where I'm coming from with this."

"I do see, Cyrus. Izar and I may not have the time that you two do but I think we have something to make up for that. Something that's really hard to explain." He added softly.

"Oh really? Try me." Cyrus challenged him.

"I don't know why but I was always really drawn to Izar, even from the day I first saw her for only a moment. Ever since then there seemed to be a thread that brought us together, keeps bringing us together. There's some kind of bond we have. I remember this one time, after Izar had left me after she had stayed with me for the night, I had felt her presence. I sensed that she needed me and wanted me at that moment in time. Though she wasn't right there, the feeling was so strong it was like she was. I could feel her body close to me, like I was holding her in my arms. I felt her down to the way she seems to feel so much cooler than a regular person does. I can't ever explain what it was that happened, but I knew then that Izar and I had something that went past regular barriers such as time and distance."

The whole time Chad was explaining his story Cyrus felt his blood getting hotter with envy. Every intimate detail made him angrier. The tone of voice Chad was speaking in even made him mad. He was speaking softly, in a dream like tone that you only used when you spoke of something you were passionate about. When Chad had explained Izar's peculiar body temperature Cyrus thought he was going to lose it. He wanted to be the only man that had the privilege of feeling her cooler body and holding it next to his.

"Anything else about this bond of yours with Izar?" Cyrus asked him, uncurling his fist that he had subconsciously made at his sides, breathing deeply to calm himself.

Izar was right, he really needed to get a hold on his temper.

"Well, I'm not sure if it is worth mentioning but I did ask her to imprint me." Chad said nonchalantly.

Before he could control himself Cyrus had grabbed a fistful of Chad's shirt in his hand and yanked Chad down towards him, "You asked her to what?" he growled through teeth he clenched so hard they were starting to hurt.

"I had asked her to imprint me, so in case she left me again I would be able to find her." He explained, seeming completely unfazed by Cyrus's now rough nature with him.

"How did you know about the imprint?" he demanded.

"Izar told me everything there was to know about her the night she stayed with me. How do you figure I know about you and your other friend Thoth?"

"You know everything, including Thoth?"

"Yes, didn't Izar tell you?"

"Actually I should have figured as much now that I think back on how cool you and that woman and her son seem to be about Izar and me but I guess telling me that little detail slipped her mind." Cyrus said more calmly, "So about the imprint, what did she do after you asked her?"

"She did it." He answered simply.

It took everything in him not to set the giant ablaze where he stood, "You told her to imprint you?!" he cried outraged, "That was something between her, me, and Thoth. How can she have let you in on that? That was our thing, you had no right to want in on that!"

"I'm sorry if I had done something to offend you by asking for the imprint. However, Izar didn't seem but so bent out of shape about it."

Quickly Cyrus untangled his hand from Chad's shirt. He turned his back on the other young man, "Chad, I really would hate to put Iz on the spot by putting her in the middle of this, but please understand me when I say I could care less about your feelings for her. If anything I expected it. What does bother me is that I feel you're sort of intruding in on things cemented before you even waltzed into Izar's life. I want Izar to myself, best believe I will fight for her, I've been doing it for awhile. All I can say to you lover boy is that all is fair when love becomes war. Guess I'll be seeing you."

With that he stepped out into traffic again, making quite the dramatic departure as he easily evaded every oncoming car.

Izar's POV

It was becoming late and Cyrus wasn't back yet. Izar was so worried that she drove her friend away she couldn't even bring herself to goof off with Kenji today, or playfully bother Akiko when she came home from work. All she did the entire day was sit at her window that faced the same direction as the front of the house and waited to see any sign of Cyrus coming back. Akiko came in to check on her sometime later.

"Izar, dinner's ready. Are you coming down?" she asked her smoothly.

"I'll eat later, Akiko." Izar said, not taking her gaze off the window.

"Do you want to talk about it? I hope you didn't have a fight."

"I don't know what happened, I just hope he didn't get mad enough to leave and actually lie about it."

"I don't think he'll ever lie to you." Akiko said, a teasingly knowing tone in her speech.

"Let's hope not, because I'll beat him to a pulp if he does." Izar threatened, sending a mental note to Cyrus, hoping it would reach him.

She was only seconds away from using her imprint to see if it worked this time just to see if he was still around. That's when he finally showed up, descending into the front of the house like a fiery winged angel. When Cyrus landed he happened to look up towards the window towards her. A smile crossed his face at seeing her in the window. Izar felt her mouth tug at the corners but she held back her smile, instead giving him a frown. She opened the window, "You jerkwad. I thought you left me again." She yelled at him in the street below.

"Hold that thought," Cyrus said still smiling at her, "I'm coming up."

"Huh?" Izar said perplexed.

Cyrus flapped his wings, sending him skyrocketing upwards towards her open window. Izar backed up from the window in surprise as Cyrus appeared in the window sill.

"What are you doing?" Izar asked him fiercely, "You know anybody can see you."

"It won't be long. I just wanted to ask you something." Cyrus smiled his best at her.

"What is it?"

"When's the last time you went flying? You know, had a good ol' fashion soaring session?" he asked her eagerly.

Izar knew how excited flying made Cyrus. The three of them would always have what they referred to as "soaring sessions" every single day after they escaped the labs. It usually consisted of the trio just flying for hours on end, soaring above the clouds, diving towards the ground at high speeds before pulling up at the last possible moment. Cyrus was always the most ecstatic about these sessions because Thoth and her had agreed that Cyrus was the best trick flyer out of all of them. He had always liked showing them the new moves and tricks he had thought of or taught himself during the sessions, and he always loved teaching the other two how to do them. Now that she thought about it she hadn't been for a good fly session since back when. The only time she seemed to pull her wings out anymore was so she could fight. Even then they weren't getting but so much exercise.

"Not recently." Izar admitted, "Actually, I would say it's almost been a year since I had a good flight session."

"Well, let's do it." Cyrus's smile was so luminous only the sun could be good competition for it. Izar had to admit she thought Cyrus had one of the most beautiful smiled ever, "Let's go flying. It's a clear night, not a cloud in the sky and the stars are shining their brightest." He beamed.

"As much as I'd love to you know I can't. My wing's still injured, remember?" Izar reminded him.

"I can get that fixed. Remember my friend Kisuke? He knows a great healer who'll have that little scratch on your wing healed in no time." He guaranteed her. "Besides, he's been wanting to meet you anyway."

"This Kisuke just seems to have everything at his arsenal. How are you so sure he's not busy?" Izar asked him.

"Despite his immense qualifications and talents Kisuke's shop doesn't have a lot of business. He did leave the shop early when I visited today with the rest of his crew, something about a defected merchandise on the loose, but I'm sure that's been dealt with and out of the way by now." He brushed it aside.

"So you want me to go with you, get my wing healed, meet your friend, then go flying with you?" Izar asked.

"Of course," Cyrus said as if this was the most obvious thing ever.

"All right, I'll go but how am I going to get there? Surely you aren't thinking of walking anywhere." She said eyeing his wings.

"I'll carry you." He said softly grabbing her hand and pulling her into his arms way before she could protest. "Now hold on, I can tell you from experience this can get pretty bumpy." He warned wrapping them around her waist and leaning backwards out of the window until they were both falling to the ground.

Izar, in a panic induced hurry, wrapped her arms tightly around Cyrus, digging her nails into the fabric of his clothing and burying her face in the front of his shirt. Cyrus spread his wings out just before they could collide with the ground and then shot straight up into the air like a speeding bullet. The wind whipped at both of their faces until Cyrus came to a screeching halt in the sky. Izar finally pulled her face away from the front of Cyrus's shirt, taking short, shaky breaths. Everything happened so fast the transition of everything just shook her for a minute. Of course she wasn't afraid of flying at high speeds or anything like that. She just wasn't so sure of flying as a passenger with Cyrus. She had seen the things that this guy did in the air and none of them looked safe for a passenger at all. The fact that she knew he would have no problem with doing these stunts with her on board didn't help her increasing heartbeat either.

"Hey Izar, take a look." Cyrus said brightly, "It's a clear, starry night. Your favorite time to want to go flying."

Izar looked up at the sky overhead to see he was right. The sky was absolutely breathtaking tonight. The stars shone so bright Izar felt like she could reach up and actually grab one. She had loved going out flying at night, when the stars shown their brightest. When they did she got a light yet strong, powerful feeling. It was a feeling that her, Cyrus, and Thoth shared. She figured it was due to their energy fused DNA reacting to the sources of where they came from.

"It's beautiful tonight." She gasped gazing at the stars.

"You're beautiful." She heard Cyrus whisper.

She turned her gaze to Cyrus who she then realized was only a few inches away from her face. He was staring deeply in her eyes with the same longing look he had before. Why did he keep looking at her like that? She couldn't begin to think that maybe after all this time that perhaps he started to develop feelings for her.

'There's no way. Cyrus is my best friend, though my track record for noticing things isn't good I'd think I'd know if Cyrus was in love with me.' She thought shaking the though from her mind. Instead she smiled at him brightly, "Not as beautiful as that smile of yours." She gushed at him playfully causing him to flash his token smile.

"C'mon, let's go get that wing of yours fixed up so you can get in on this action." He said his grip around her waist still tight as he started to dive back towards the city.

While Cyrus flew towards the city Izar looked back over her shoulder down at the city below. The city looked just as bright and beautiful as stars in the sky did that night. It had been so long since she had been flying that she had forgotten how beautiful everything seemed to be once you were miles off of the ground. It also helped you realize how much bigger the world around you was when you took steps back and looked at the bigger picture, instead of mingling amongst it.

Once they were a few feet above the tallest of the city's buildings Cyrus finally went into a horizontal flight pattern. Izar kept looking down at the city and its life below them.

"This is really nice. I'm sort of getting impatient about getting my wing fixed now." Izar said up to Cyrus.

"I knew you'd miss doing this." Cyrus said knowingly, "Don't worry, here's our stop right here."

Izar looked to see a small little shop sitting all by itself amongst the tall buildings in a field. Cyrus gently floated down until they were both standing outside of the shop. He furled up his wings with a quick snap. Izar unwrapped her arms from around him but Cyrus had not done the same.

"Cyrus," Izar said eyeing his arms around her.

"Yeah?" he asked her.

"You can let go of me now."

"Oh," he chuckled nervously before letting his hold on her go.

Cyrus went past her to go open the shop door. Izar followed behind him, looking for signs of anybody else residing in the store. She saw nobody was.

"Are you sure they're here?" she asked him.

"Of course," Cyrus said assuredly, "Hey Kisuke, it's Cy." He called.

Soon a man emerged from the back of the shop. He was dressed in old fashioned, traditional Japanese garb with a bucket hat and clogs on his feet. His white hair was unkempt and wild from what Izar could see poking from under his hat and hid unshaven face had very noticeable stubble on it. However nothing about the man seemed dirty or nasty. He just seemed to be a guy who took life a lot more relaxed than everyone else in these times were everybody appeared to be having such fast paced lives.

"Geez Cy, where's the fire?" he said in a nice, laid back tone of voice.

"No fire. Just in need of your assistance for my friend, Izar. Izar, this is Kisuke, my saving grace for the first few weeks I first arrived here. Kisuke, this is Izar." Cyrus introduced, reaching behind him grabbing her, and pulling her to stand in front of him so Kisuke could get a good look at her.

"Hi," she said shyly with a wave.

"Hello there," he greeted with a big grin lifting up the brim of his hat a little higher, "My, my, the famous Cellie a.k.a Izar, nice to finally get the face with the name. I see you're a regular _sadako_, huh?"

"_Sadako_?" Izar asked.

"It's a Japanese word for a girl or young woman that wears her hair hanging in her face in resemblance of the token boogie man of Japanese horror. The woman with dark scraggly hair hanging in her face." Kisuke explained to her.

"Oh," Izar smiled.

"So what's the help you two need from me?" Kisuke asked.

"Izar's wing was hurt in a fight. I was wondering if you could get Tessai to patch her up so she can go out flying with me tonight." Cyrus explained.

"Oh of course, anything for Cyrus and his beautiful friend. On one condition however." He told them holding up a finger.

"What is it?" Izar asked dryly, figuring that there had to be a catch somewhere.

"Can you pull the hair away from your eye so I can see your mark? You're among friends here, so you don't have to cover up. Here's a tie right here so you can pull your hair back." he said handing her a black air tie.

Caught off guard by his simple request, Izar took the tie and pulled her back and tied it into a knot.

"Wow, you're mark is the most beautiful." Kisuke complimented.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now you two follow me so I can fetch Tessai to patch you up." Kisuke said going behind the shop.

Cyrus and Izar followed behind him.

"Oh Tessai," Kisuke called out.

Seconds later a big, burly, bespectacled man in an apron appeared before them, "You called Mr. Urahara?"

"Yes, my friends here would like to use your healing abilities. You see, Izar here wing is hurt and she really wants to go flying with Cy." Kisuke explained.

"Ah, I see. Well, let's get to it. Come with me." Tessai said gently taking Izar's hand and leading her into a room.

He sat Izar down on the floor in the middle of it, then took a seat in front of her, "I'll need you to show me which wing it is that is injured." He told her.

"Oh, right." She said unfurling her wings quickly, the moment she did she winced from the pain that the simple movement had caused.

"I see." Tessai nodded observantly, eyeing the wing that had a gauzy band aid wrapped around it. Without another word Tessai scooted a little closer to Izar and held his open palms in front of her injured wing.

With a quick mumbling of some sort of incantation a bright golden glow erupted from his hand to encase Izar's injured wing. The golden aura pulsated around Izar's wing for a moment. With each passing second Izar felt the pain in her wing reside gradually.

"This is actually working." She muttered under her breath.

"Of course it is. I'm not no nonsense spewing fraud like these other healers." Tessai said proudly, "I have honed my skills and abilities greatly."

"I can tell." Izar commented as the pain in her wing was almost gone.

"Just a few more seconds." Tessai said, "There, that should do it. Go ahead and move it around."

Izar obeyed and started flexing her wing. Just like he said the pain was completely gone. She gave Tessai a big smile, "Thanks a lot." She said grabbing his hand and shaking it energetically. She was so happy that she could go flying now after such a long time.

"It was nothing at all. Whenever you need anything you just come find me." He told her.

"Okay," she getting up and leaving out the door but not before giving Tessai a hug.

When she went back out into the hallway she saw Kisuke and Cyrus were further down waiting for her, both leaning against the wall across from each other, talking and giggling like two high schoolers.

'Cyrus must have really bonded with this Kisuke guy when he was here. You'd have thought they knew each other all their lives.' She thought.

Suddenly, staring at the two talking it quickly morphed into another picture in front of Izar's eyes. Cyrus had changed into the younger version of himself she knew from over a year ago and Kisuke had disappeared to be replaced by her memory of Thoth. The scene of the two men talking and laughing turned into Cyrus and Thoth having one of their brotherly moments together. The image sent a sharp tug on her heart. The feeling was so strong Izar's hand flew to clutch her chest and a loud gasp escaped from her lips. Cyrus and Kisuke looked at her and Cyrus quickly rushed to her side.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her worriedly.

"It's nothing really." She told him pulling her hand away from her chest, "My wing is better. Now we can go flying together." She said brightly.

"Oh, okay." Cyrus said happily.

"So you two are making your departure then?" Kisuke asked them as he approached.

"I guess so. Thanks, Kisuke, you always seem to be a big help every time I come here."

"No problem. Hey before you go, Izar, I want you to know if you're still interested in training with me. You can drop by the shop any time you want." He told her.

"Oh yeah, I would like to train with you." Izar said brightly, just remembering the offer, "I'll make sure to drop by when I'm free because between you and me I'm a tad envious of Cyrus's colored mark." Izar gave Cyrus a teasing glare, one he returned with a simple smile.

"Don't be, I bet when you get stronger your mark will be lovelier than ever." Kisuke assured her with a wink.

"Thanks again, Kisuke and tell Tessai I said thank you too." Cyrus said as he and Izar went to the door.

"Anything for you, old friend. See ya around." He waved as the two exited the shop.

The moment they were outside Cyrus and Izar gave each other knowing glances, then simultaneously unfurled their wings, and with a mighty flap shot straight into the air, side by side. Izar felt a big goofy smile on her face as she relished on the feeling of the wind whipping at her face and flowing her hair behind her head. As if they had both read the other's mind Cyrus and Izar came to a swift halt in the air. The minute they stopped they looked at each other again, both were smiling energetically with big, wildly excited eyes. Izar looked down to see that the city of Karakura Town had receded to nothing but bright lights against a dark canvas, reflecting the night sky above. She looked back at Cyrus who held his hand out to her. She clasped his hand firm in hers as they both flapped their wings again and began gliding across the star speckled night sky. The duo soared like two eagles, holding each other's hand, over the cities and towns below, soon leaving Karakura behind them.

"Ready to do some tricks?" Cyrus called over to her.

"Go for it." She urged him.

Cyrus nodded pulling her closer to him, letting of her hand to clutch waist he quickly whispered to her, "Catch the Shooting Star."

Izar nodded knowing which trick this was. It was a trick that him and her had came up with together during one of their many soaring sessions. Cyrus threw Izar high up into the air above him while she had tucked her wings in. She fired up her white starlight aura, then turned so she was falling headfirst back towards the ground. At this point Cyrus, who had kept flying straight starts to glide upwards and over backwards until he was directly over the falling ball of light that was Izar. Once over top of her he sparked up his own fiery aura. Folding in his wings he let himself free fall, too aiming for the descending girl. When she looked up to see Cyrus gaining on her Izar smirked and held her arms to him. Cyrus whipped through a cloud as shot for her. Finally he had caught her and both opened up their wings to shoot straight ahead again. Barely missing a beat Izar quickly got his back and as Cyrus straightened up his body so he was flying while standing Izar was perched atop of his shoulders with her arms out wide, "Ta da!!" she exclaimed enthusiastically.

Cyrus chuckled heartily at her, "We still got!" he agreed as the two left glowing entrails of fire colors and white behind them.

Izar back flipped off of his shoulders to zoom ahead of him. Izar started flying a jagged zigzag pattern in a circle around Cyrus. She did this until she came full circle then flew back over to Cyrus. She pointed upward floating up higher into the sky. Cyrus followed her without question. When they were up high enough Izar waved her arms out to show what she created. Looking down Cyrus saw that she had made a sky writing design in the shape of a ten pointed star like her mark.

"Cool, huh?" she asked her aura fading away.

"Eh," Cyrus said, seeming unimpressed.

"What do you mean 'eh'?" Izar asked a little indignant and disappointed by his reaction.

"I think it's missing something." Cyrus said smiling at her. "Hold on, I'll fix it." He said zooming down towards her picture that was starting to slowly fade then.

Izar watched from her spot, her wings flapping periodically to keep her in flight. Cyrus circled and zigzagged until he flew back up next to her.

"Well?" he asked.

On the outside of her white star picture was Cyrus's trail of fiery colors that was made up his sun mark on his eye, following in the steps of what Izar did. It was a cute picture as the star was smack dab in the middle of the sun picture. It almost looked as if the sun was holding the star safely within itself.

"I really like it." Izar nodded her approval, "It looks like the sun is protecting the star, you know?"

"That's because the sun is protecting the star." He said, his tone even yet serious.

Izar turned to Cyrus who was staring at her, "Cyrus,"

"I'll always protect you Izar. No matter how strong you are or get, no matter how much you want to fight on your own. I want to be right there for you."

Izar felt a warm feeling cross over her heart. It was something of the same feeling she got whenever Chad said things that touched her only the warm feeling was more of just a tingle than the full on burning that Chad seemed to induce. It was nice to see that both guys who she held so sacred to her heart returned her feelings a hundred percent.

"Hey look at that." Cyrus said staring at something below them, past their fading sky writing picture.

"What?"

Izar said looking too.

"There's something on the ground reflecting our picture." He explained.

"Hmm, maybe a lake or something." She suggested looking back at him to see an evil smirk on Cyrus's lips.

"Maybe," he said raising an eyebrow. "Want to go look at it before we head back?"

"I…I don't know," Izar stammered.

Cyrus knew how open bodies of water made her feel. She wasn't afraid of water. She was, however, terrified of drowning which most people who couldn't swim ended up doing. She happened to be amongst the many that couldn't. So the look Cyrus was giving her made her want to run for the hills.

"You know how I am with water." She said hurriedly with eyes narrowed warningly at him.

Before she could try to make a retreat from him Cyrus had closed the space between them, wrapping his arms around her again, "Exactly." He said mischievously going into a nosedive with her struggling hard in his grasp. "Take a deep breath!"

"Cyrus!!" Izar screamed angrily as she watched the dark surface of the water get closer to them until they both crashed violently through it.

In the water everything seemed to move in slow motion, bubble fluttered all around her, blocking her vision. She heeded Cyrus's advice by holding her breath the moment they were inches within the water. This did nothing to ease the unpleasant feeling of water in her nose ad rushing into her ears. Finally, after what to Izar felt like forever Cyrus had resurfaced out of the water, his grip on her still firm, never loosening once. Izar gasped in mouthful of air when they surfaced and brushed her wet bangs that were plastered to her face. With one arm still wrapped snuggly around her Cyrus started paddling towards the nearby shore. Izar waited until they were safely on the shore before she went to rip into Cyrus.

"Cyrus, you jerk!" she cried out whipping out a sopping wet fist to punch him.

He dodged her punch easily. Growling with frustration she threw a kick at him, again he dodged it. She kept throwing kicks at him, ones that he dodge easily, laughing all the while, until finally he caught he ankle to hold her leg in place.

"See, all this time you spend trying to kick me you could be enjoying the scenery." He said.

Izar pressed her lips tight together but peered out at the lake in front of them after snatching her foot out his hold. With the clear night sky overhead being reflected in the water's surface and the trees gathered all around them Izar couldn't help but agree with Cyrus. She was enjoying the scenery a lot. Suddenly she felt Cyrus's warm presence right next to her as he stole a kiss at the corner of her lips, opposite of where Chad had kissed her only that afternoon. Surprised Izar subconsciously backed her face away from his to stare at him questioningly. His sky blue eyes that were darker in the evening stared into hers.

"Sorry about that." He smirked, "Also, I haven't told you yet…"

"Haven't told me what?" Izar asked nervously, hoping and praying that this was not going where she thought it was.

'Please don't say it. Please don't say it. Please say it.' The mantra repeated in her mind.

"I'm really glad that you and me are together again. I've missed you so much." He said.

Izar let out a very relieved sigh as she smiled at him, "That's good to know. Sometimes I wondered if you had forgotten about me." She teased him.

"I never stopped thinking about you. I wouldn't have ever forgotten you." Cyrus defended strongly.

"I'm just teasing. Now you know how it feels." She smiled poking him in the chest.

"Well, if you're finished stargazing we should get you back before Akiko notices you're gone and flips out. She seems like the type that would do that, at least over you."

"Yeah, let's go." Izar said, "I'll race ya."

"Oh you are so on." Cyrus spread his wings quickly and launched himself into the air.

Izar whipped out her wing too, right on his heels.

********************************************************************************************************************

I thought I made Cyrus seem like a jerk earlier when he talked to Chad so I wanted to make up for it by adding this tender moment with Izar. Not to mention I did feel Chad was hogging a lot of Izar time. Next chap I'm bringing another character back into the picture. You may think you have an idea who it is but don't get too cocky. I tend to surprise.

Also a major shout out to Gottta Dance 88, Princesa de la Luna, and ImaTurnari. You guys rock! Thanks for all the love and support you're showing me. I'm determined to finish this story now so I can get started on the others. From here on in I'm dedicating it all to you guys. Thanks again.


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry it took so long for me to update. It's just a lot of stuff has happened that really trashed my writing spirit lately and I'm still not really recovered from it yet, but continue to show your love and support for my writing and I'm sure I'll come out of it soon. Here's my latest chapter. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from Bleach. The only things I own are my original creations Izar, Cyrus, and Thoth.

********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Fourteen: The Arrival of Kyoko

Cyrus had won the race back to the house but not without a good fight put up on Izar's part. The duo had swooped in right in on Izar's unlocked window, making sure to be really quiet so as not to draw any unwanted attention towards them sneaking in. Izar crawled in through the window, furling up her wings while Cyrus took perch sitting on her window sill.

"Why don't you just come in?" Izar asked him, "Sitting in the window like that, somebody's bound to see you."

"I'm fine, besides I'm not staying long." Cyrus replied nonchalantly.

"Why not?" Izar asked her disappointment clear in her tone.

"Kisuke has a spot at his place I can crash in. I decided to stay there with him for the remainder of my stay." He explained to her.

"Oh," Izar said, dropping her eyes to the floor, when she looked up at Cyrus she plastered a smile on her face, "Before you go, I have something for you."

She quickly made her way cross the dark room towards her dresser. Sitting on top of it was one lone beige colored box. She opened it and reached into it, pulling her hand back out she had her hand balled up into a tight fist, trying to keep the trinket hidden from Cyrus's eyes.

Approaching him her smile and eyes held an air of mischief about them. Standing in front of him she held out her hand, opening it up so the necklace dangled from between her fingers. At seeing the dangling chain Izar watched as Cyrus's eyes became deep and thoughtful as he raised his hand to reach out and take the necklace. It was his fiery four winged necklace that she had kept like a sacred charm ever since they had been separated. Shortly after she had moved in with Akiko and Kenji she had saw Akiko attempting to throw the box away. So Izar instead told Akiko she wanted to keep it and placed the chains in there for when she was finally reunited with her friends.

"You had it all this time." He said softly, taking the necklace, eyeing it fondly in his hand as the gold chain hung between his fingers, "I really thought I had lost it."

"Nope," Izar claimed brightly, "I had them. I guess I somehow got hold of them during that whole ugly episode." She explained but her upbeat tone was fading with the memories that were coming up.

"I remember when Thoth and I had gotten these made for us." Cyrus said reminiscently still staring at his chain, "We had just moved in and settled down in that place. If I'm not mistaken these were the first luxury items we brought after we had shelter and food. We'd gotten them as a physical symbol of our friendship. Now, look at us, look at what everything's become between us." Cyrus clutched the chain tightly in his fist.

Izar saw Cyrus's eyes start to mist over with tears. Seeing him so vulnerable and hurt made Izar's eyes burn, too. Cyrus never cried, not from what she remembered. Quick to get angry, fast to act rashly, but as emotional as he was Cyrus had never shed tears openly. Now a simple chain was able to move him to tears now.

'What's happened to you in the year you've been gone?' she thought as she witnessed at her friend's sorrow.

"Cy," she said reaching out to place her hand on his shoulder. Absentmindedly he went to cover hers with his own hand, "I know I'm not the only one that's missing Thoth. You're missing him, too. Possibly more than I am because you've seen for yourself that it's not him that doing all this craziness now. It must hurt you, seeing him not in control of himself."

"It really does, Iz." Cyrus choked out, "You have no idea how hard it was fighting him this past year for me."

"Don't get too down. We have to stay positive, we got to believe that we can still save Thoth." She said soothingly, trying to ease his hurt as much as her own that his was stirring up inside of her, "We'll have him back with us soon enough. Until then we at least have each other, right?"

Cyrus finally met her eyes, with his eyes filled to the brim with tears he was holding back they resembled little miniature pools. He let a simple yet sad grin spreading across his lips, "You're right, Izar."

"As long as we're together that should hold us until we can get the whole gang back together." She gave his shoulder a firm, reassuring squeeze.

Cyrus wiped the back of his hand across his eyes before asking her softly, "Here, put it on for me, huh?"

"Sure." She beamed taking the necklace that he was handing her.

She draped it around his neck and leaned in close to his face so she could fix the clasp in the back. During performing this simple request from her long time friend Izar realized just how close to his face this caused her to be and slowly a feeling of uneasiness crept up on her. Izar felt guilty over feeling uncomfortable being so close to him. Especially since she had more intimate moments than this one, but since he's returned she couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps Cyrus was trying to push their friendship into other territory. Either way she quickly clasped the chain in the back of his neck, the whole time Cyrus's eyes bore into her.

She took a dramatic step back when she finished, "There you go."

Cyrus took the charm in his hand and glanced down at it, "Come here and give me a hug before I go." He told her with his arms out to her.

Izar felt very reluctant to do that. At his offer her mind instantly flashed back to the kiss at the lake. Sure it was a simple kiss that was close to her lips. How many times had she full on mouth kissed Thoth and Cyrus back when they were on the run? Yet those kisses had been an innocent girl's way of showing affection towards the two most important people in her life. The on Cyrus planted on her, that one was anything but an innocent sign of friendly affection. Now the thought of a hug with her oldest friend was making her uneasy.

'Stop being stupid. Just give him a hug.' She thought to herself angrily.

She walked over to him and gave him a quick squeeze, one he returned tenfold, holding her tight. She felt him place a small peck on the top of her head, "Thanks for this, Izar. Thanks for everything. You make me so happy."

"You're welcome." She said pulling away from him.

She watched her friend as he unfurled his wings to their full length and fall from the windowsill. Then flew past the window off into the night sky. Izar stayed at the window for a moment looking after his retreating figure in the night. Despite her earlier feelings of discomfort Izar couldn't help but feel an emptiness fill her once Cyrus was gone. Although she might have dreaded romantic feelings from him she did actually loved very much. Just not in the sense she was starting to feel he might have.

Finally stepping away from the window she changed out of her soggy day clothing and put on her sleeping wear. The minute she was comfortable in the bed her lids dropped closed and she instantly went off into dreamland.

Tonight, in spite of the wonderful night she had just spent with Cyrus, her dreams were filled with that of her warrior boy, Chad. She had to admit the dream and the setting was as cheesy and cliché as they came. The scene was that of an endless field of yellow flowers with a bright cloudless, sunny day overhead. Lying the field were her and Chad, laying opposite each other, both dressed in willowy white clothing. Izar was barefooted in a knee length white summer dress, twirling one of the flowers between her fingers in one hand while the other was wrapped up in the crook of Chad's arm. He was also barefoot, dressed in baggy, cutoff white capris, with a white short sleeved button down shirt that wasn't buttoned at all, exposing his rippling abs and broad, muscular chest. At his side was his faithful guitar, but he wasn't paying it much attention as he sat up to look down at Izar.

Izar glanced up at him and smiled. Chad raised her hand to his lips, gently kissing her fingertips.

"So what are you going to pluck on your guitar for me today?" she asked him, her voice deep, husky, and sensual. Nothing how her voice is in real life.

"Nothing," Chad replied simply, his voice so deep and sexy, "I was thinking I'd tug at your heartstrings instead." He added an impish smirk on his lips, just making everything about him sexier.

With that he leaned into her face and kissed her deeply on her lips. Izar sat up into his kiss, tossing her flower away, finding something better to do with her time. The kiss seemed to last forever before they broke apart to come up for air. However they still kept their faces close to one another's.

"I love you, Chad." She whispered to him breathlessly.

"I love you, Izar." He replied just as breathless, going in for another kiss.

This time however his big, strong, warm hands started to outline and trace over the curves of her body through the material of her skirt. Izar's hands started to wander over his body as well, rubbing, pawing, and groping away at his chiseled chest and abs. Then letting her hands go to his back, relishing in his hardened, sinewy muscles. To make the scene more romantic (and cheesy too) a strong gust of wind blew by at the perfect moment, wrenching the petals from the flowers, causing flecks of yellow to go airborne and wisp all around them. The wind also caused Izar's really long hair to whip around her and Chad, too. They pulled out of the kiss one last time, locking gazes with each other.

"You're so beautiful." Chad told her softly.

"You're so perfect." She whispered back. "Damn, I lucked up when I found you."

Chad pulled her lips back to his, kissing softer and more gentle this time. He tangled his hands in her hair as she started to deepen the kiss again. She threw her arms around is neck, losing herself in his lips against hers. Then…

"Izar," Akiko's voice broke through the dream, practically popping the cloud, "Izar, time to wake up. You don't want to be late again."

Izar sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes lazily. "Alright Akiko, thanks." She called to Akiko standing out in the hall, calling her through the door.

Once she was certain she was away from the door, Izar went into ripping herself another one from having such a cheese-tastic about her and Chad.

"Dressed in white in a field of flowers? Seriously Iz?" she asked herself, shaking her head in shame.

The whole time she spent getting herself ready for school was also spent making fun of herself for the dream she had last night.

"To make the whole thing complete would have been a white horse with Chad in shining armor. I'm such a girl!" she cried out in anguish.

She was still going on in her head about the dream as she descended down the stairs. At the bottom she came to a sudden stop as a thought popped into her head. She was so busy harping on the corniness of the dream that she overlooked something very important. Something that should have been what she really should have been killing herself over.

"In the dream, I told Chad I loved him." She muttered under her breath.

'I really dreamt I said it.' She thought, 'But the thing is, was it the truth? Do I love him? I care about him and he makes me feel things I never felt before, but do I love him? Am I falling in love with him?'

Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by a sound. It was a rapping sound that was coming from the direction of the front door that she was standing near. Somebody was knocking at the door.

"Who could that be this early?" she thought out loud approaching the door.

Without looking through the peephole she unlocked the door and swung it open. Standing on the porch with a pile of luggage at her feet was a teenaged girl. Izar was caught off guard at first. Kenji was too young for wanting a girlfriend, not to mention she seemed a little too old for him. She seemed a little older than her by maybe two to three years. She definitely couldn't be somebody who worked with Akiko because from the way she dresses Akiko's job would never let this girl in the front door.

The girl was dresses like a rocker groupie with tattered jeans, a black T-shirt with black netting over it, and black boots. She had numerous metallic accessories all over from her rings, to her earrings, to her studded belt, to her neck. Her dark hair was long, spilling about her shoulders in wild, unkempt locks. In the midst of it were various dangling trinkets, loose braids, and streaks of colors. Though Izar was short, she knew that this girl was unusually tall for a Japanese girl. She was also very, almost scary, skinny.

The girl would have been considered pretty in some way if she toned down her distracting wardrobe. That and if she got rid of the grimace she was obviously glaring at Izar with. The look made Izar very irritated, making her want to get whatever business this girl had over and done with.

"Who the hell are you?" the girl sneered at her.

"You're standing on my porch, I should be asking you that." Izar shot back with just as much tenacity.

"_Your_ porch? What are you talking about? This is my family's house." The girl countered smugly.

"The only family that's here is mine's. I don't know who you are. I think you have the wrong house. I suggest you leave." Izar said coldly, going to shut the door in the girl's face.

As she went to do so the girl propped the door with one arm and leg, "Don't close the door in my face. Where's my mother?"

"I told you once and I'll tell you again, your mother's not here." Izar said slowly and meanly, "Now get out of the doorway." She growled using her body to push her back out onto the porch.

The girl recovered quickly getting to her feet, "You evil little…" she hisses coming to take a shot at Izar.

"Don't touch her!" a small boyish voice rang out, making Izar turn around to see Kenji quickly rush to stand protectively in front of her.

"K…Kenji," the girl stammered disbelievingly, "I'm your sister, you're going to take her side and not mine's?"

"She's more of a sister to me than you'll ever be." Kenji gritted through clenched teeth angrily at her.

"Sister?" Izar repeated, a feeling of guilt quickly surrounding her, "You're Kyoko?"

"Duh, who did you think I was?" Kyoko snapped at her, "Now the question is who the hell are you?"

"Don't talk to her like that Kyoko." Kenji snapped at her.

"Oh c'mon, squirt, seriously?" Kyoko whined at him.

"Yes, seriously Kyoko." Akiko's voice said sternly from inside the house behind them.

All eyes turned to Akiko standing only a few feet away, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides, her eyes narrowed dramatically, staring daggers into Kyoko's direction. Kyoko didn't seem to notice Akiko's cold glare as she smiled at the sight of her mother.

"Mom," Kyoko said happily with some sense of relief.

She barged her way past Kenji and Izar, casually knocking them aside as she went into the house towards the fuming Akiko.

"Good, now you can tell Kenji to stop choosing whoever this jezebel is over me…" Kyoko said to Akiko, approaching with her arms out as if expecting a big hug from her mother.

However she got something else in response.

**_CRACK!! _**

Before Kyoko could get the rest of her sentence out Akiko had slapped her hard across the face. It was so hard in fact that it was difficult to tell if she had smacked her or actually punched the unsuspecting girl. Kyoko's hand flew to the side of her face, cupping the reddening area where she was hit. Though her back was to them Izar knew that more than anything the girl had to have been on the verge of tears.

"What the hell, mom?!" Kyoko screeched at Akiko.

"_Shut up!!_" Akiko hollered back more fiercely.

Even though she was yelling at Kyoko, Izar and Kenji found themselves flinching away from her voice at the door.

"Now you never speak of Izar that way in this house again, do you understand?" Akiko hissed, pointing a warning finger right at her face. "She's been more apart of this family than you ever were and you will respect her for that. Now apologize to her," she demanded.

"What?" Kyoko cried outraged.

"Apologize to her!" Akiko growled.

Izar guilt times itself by a hundred when she saw that Akiko was going to make Kyoko apologize. That wouldn't have been fair. Izar was the one who hit her first, she felt she should apologize because she could have been a little nicer to Kyoko instead of just jumping on the defensive.

"Actually, that won't be necessary Akiko." Izar said going over to stand between her and her daughter.

"It was my fault actually. I sort of started the whole scene. I should be the one to apologize." Izar offered to them.

"See, Kyoko. She's so humble, too. That's why you should apologize even more."

"Maybe we all just need to calm down here. It's early in the morning, nobody is ever really a morning person. Let's just step back, take a deep breath, and try to talk about this like civil human beings." Izar suggested calmly, looking from Kyoko to Akiko, trying to see if they were going to buy anything that she was saying.

"She's so right." Akiko said dropping her gaze to the floor, "We should talk like civil people. Get your ass in the living room now." She ordered Kyoko like a drill sergeant.

Kyoko shot Izar a hateful glare before turning on her heel and marching into the living room. Akiko was on her heels, but at the entryway she turned around to Izar, "You two have a good day at school. I'll have this mess sorted out by the time you guys get home, okay."

"Yeah, sure." Izar replied, pasting a syrupy sweet smile on her face that was wasted as Akiko had already went into the living room and wasted no time ripping into Kyoko.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Akiko's voice rose several pitches in tone. "You ungrateful, spoiled little brat, do you have any idea how much you hurt this family by just up and leaving the way that you did? Especially so soon after that bastard of a father left us for that friggin' pin up model, too. First you cause trouble wherever it was you went, then you started seeing that horrible boy from American who had no manners or respect for authority, and then one day I come home from work to find a letter from you saying you ran off with that little delinquent to become a rock singer!"

"So that's what happened to her." Izar said raising an eyebrow.

She looked over at Kenji who was still standing by the open door. With his mother's voice as loud as it was at the moment she wouldn't have been the least surprised if the neighbors were hearing the ruckus going on the living room. Kenji had his head hung low, eyes towards the ground. Everything Akiko was saying must have been bringing up some unpleasant memories for him. Then the baggage still scattered on the porch caught her attention.

'Hey Kenji, why don't you help me bring your sister's luggage in the house?" Izar said walking past him to the porch outside.

"Fine, only because you want me to." Kenji said softly.

The two of them lugged Kyoko's bags into the house, placing them off to side at the bottom of the staircase.

"There's the last one." Izar announced dropping the last bag on top of the pile, "With that done you and I should head out for school."

"But you didn't eat anything yet." Kenji pointed out.

"That's alright. It's not like I haven't gone without a meal here and there." She told him.

'If I can recall I remember going several days on end not eating anything.' She added mentally recounting all the times she had been on a strict diet of nothing for days, possibly weeks.

Kenji didn't buy Izar's words. He dashed out of the front towards the kitchen. When he came back he had his backpack on and in his hands were an apple and an orange. He held them out to Izar with big eyes, "At least have these. You can eat them on your way to school."

"Thanks, Kenji." Izar said softly taking the fruit from the boy's hands. "We should get going."

With that the two headed out for school. Izar took a chunk out of the apple after she realized that Kenji was watching her, making sure she ate the fruit. She found him so cute when he worried about others. It wasn't just her he looked out for. Akiko got her fair share of the treatment as well. Like on nights when she works herself into a coma in her study Izar caught Kenji once or twice going into her study and placing a cover over her body that's usually slumped over in the seat. Or other times when Akiko had to work late and that left him and Izar to fend for themselves for dinner. After he finished his plate he was always sure that there was enough for his mother and leave her plate for when she finally got in. Sometimes Izar wondered how in the universe did a kid his age became so sweet.

"There goes, Jiro. See ya Izar." Kenji said as he ran ahead to catch his friend.

"Later Kenji." Izar called through a mouthful of apple.

At school around late morning classes, Izar always made sure to make a stop at the class of group three just to peek in on Chad to see what he was doing. She also wanted to ask him about something pertaining to their afternoon together today. Yet to her surprise as she was going to approach the class she saw Ichigo walking towards it, too.

'Ichigo? He's actually late for once.' She thought knowing that this was very not like him.

"Hey Ichigo," she called to him.

The expression on his face made the wheels in her head start turning. Instead of his normal scowl Ichigo seemed to be deep within his mind, the outside wasn't really registering like that at all. Still, he somehow registered her greeting because he quickly looked up. Shocking Izar into a stupor a tiny smile spread across his face.

"Hey Izar, how's it going?" he greeted back softly and evenly.

'Ichigo not yelling or sounding like he's angry twenty-four seven. This is really weird. Maybe something's really wrong today.'

"I'm fine," she replied, suddenly the thought of what happened earlier at the house popped into her mind and she instantly felt like she had lied, "But I should be asking you that. How are things with you? You don't seem yourself today."

"Oh, it's nothing, really." He lied, scratching his head.

"You sure? I know we may not be exactly friend but you can still talk to me about stuff. I'm a great listener." She offered.

"Thanks, but no thanks Izar." Ichigo brushed off nonchalantly before ducking into the class.

Izar stood in the opened doorway and watched Ichigo mingle with his other classmates. Even his friends had started pointing out things that seemed very unlike him.

"Hey Izar!" called a bright and cheery voice that she knew could only be Orihime.

"Hey girl, what's up?" Izar greeted as the pretty little carrot top girl and Tatsuki came over to the doorway to greet her.

"Nothing much, except Ichigo is acting kind of nice today." Orihime said.

"Yeah, he usually doesn't act that way unless…" Tatsuki started to say but broke off instead.

"Unless what?" Izar asked.

"Today's the sixteenth, isn't it?" Tatsuki asked them.

"Yeah, it is." Orihime agreed.

"Ichigo showed up late today, but I bet tomorrow he won't show all together." Tatsuki said gravely serious.

"Why?" Izar asked them.

"Oh yeah, that's right." Orihime said, her cheerful tone tuning down to one of repressed sadness and sympathy.

"What is?" Izar continued pressing, getting more curious by the moment.

"Tomorrow is the anniversary of Ichigo's mother's death." Orihime told her.

"Every year on that day Ichigo doesn't come to school, and he usually starts acting weird the day before. Like how today is." Tatsuki added.

"Oh," Izar said, her heart flooding with sympathy.

'Now if I recall I didn't meet Ichigo's mom that night I brought Chad to his family's clinic. I should do something nice for him. Maybe then we can become better friends with each other.'

Later that day, after school Izar exited to find Chad in his usual spot waiting for her. She felt herself getting extremely excited and anxious the moment she laid her eyes on him. Looking at him brought back the overly romantic dream she had last night. The dream where she told him that she loved him. Now that she was seeing him in real life she was actually nervous about spending the entire afternoon just her and him, but then she remembered what it was she had meant to ask Chad when she visited the classroom earlier before she gotten sidetracked by Ichigo.

"Hey Chad," she said coming to stand in front of him.

"Hey," he greeted back, "So are you ready?"

"Yes, but there's two things I wanted to ask you." She said, brushing her bangs out of her eyes and making them extra big and innocent.

Chad nodded his head to signal her to go on.

"Kyoko, Akiko's daughter, came home this morning." She told him seriously.

"Daughter?"

"Akiko's daughter had moved out of the house before I started to stay with them. That's why there was always room for me at their place, but she returned today and it basically put the house in an uproar. I'm worried about leaving Kenji alone at the house with so much tension in it. Do you think it would be okay if we scheduled the you and me day for another time, and instead make it a day for you, me and Kenji?"

"Of course," Chad answered without hesitation.

"Really? You don't feel the afternoon was ruined or anything?" she questioned.

Chad shook his head, "Yes, I was really looking forward to just a day of you and me but I completely understand where you're coming from with Kenji. You don't want to leave Kenji to face his sister's sudden arrival on his own."

"Right." She smiled, "Chad, you are perfect."

"The one perfect one here is you." He replied.

Izar felt a blush cross her face from what he said. To stop him from seeing it she hung her head low, "Well, let's go see if we can catch Kenji on his way home."

"Alright, but Izar,"

"Yes?" she said lookin up at him from under her eyelashes.

"Can I hold your hand while we're walking?"

Izar felt a big, goofy smile cross her face, "Yeah, sure." She beamed quickly taking his hand in hers.

Together the two of them went to pickup Kenji, hand in hand.

"Izar, you said there were two things you wanted to ask me." Chad pointed out, "What was the other thing?"

"Oh, I almost forgot, where's a good place to get flowers here?"

*********************************************************************************************************************

That's chapter fourteen. Chapter fifteen will be up soon, I promise. I felt this one was kind of short but tell me how you like it anyway. Once this sentimental stuff is out of the way the action can begin so stay tuned.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen is here! Read and Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything Bleach. I own all my little OCs, but everything else is Mr. Tite's.

********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Fifteen: Reunion in a Land of Black Snow

Chad's POV

"Hey Kenji!" Izar called over to the two young boys that were walking up ahead.

Though she only called Kenji both of the boys' heads whipped around to face her. Watching Izar call over Kenji and his friend Chad just silently savored the cool feeling of Izar's hand in his. What he enjoyed the most was how she always rubbed her thumb across the skin of his hand. Kenji and the other little boy he as with both ran up to him and Izar.

"Hey Izar, Hi Chad." Kenji greeted them happily.

"Hey Kenji, you want to hang out with me and Chad today?" she asked him brightly.

Kenji's eyes went wide in surprise. They flickered from Izar's face to her and Chad's hands wrapped around each other's, then back to her face, "Are you sure? You two look like you might want to be alone."

"No, it's fine." Chad assured the boy.

"Yeah, would Jiro also like to join us?" Izar asked him.

"Oh, why yes Ms. Izar." Jiro said happily.

"I already told you, you don't have to call me Miss." Izar said.

"So what are we doing first?" Kenji asked excitedly.

"Well, I was thinking of going flower shopping, but Chad here will take you guys to the arcade across the street for awhile. That sounds good?"

"Yeah!" both the boys cried enthusiastically.

While the two boys ran energetically ahead of them Izar gave Chad an apologetic smile, "Sorry about ditching you with the kids. I just figured that you guys didn't want to get caught dead in a flower shop."

"I don't mind flowers, but what do you want them for?" Chad asked curiously, he knew how tomboyish Izar was.

So the fact of her in a flower shop was sort of funny to him.

"I learned from Tatsuki and Orihime in school today that Ichigo's mother is dead. Tomorrow's the anniversary of when she died, so I wanted to get him some flowers, for when they go visit the grave." She said sadly, "No matter what dimension I'm in, it seems everybody mourns the same."

Chad gave Izar's hand a small reassuring squeeze. He found himself being touched by the small gesture that she was aiming to do. She wasn't even really Ichigo's friend but she really wanted to show her sympathy for him through a tiny act of kindness that she didn't have to do.

"I'm sure Ichigo and his family will really appreciate that." He softly whispered to her.

"I hope so, I know how unfond of me him and Rukia seem to be. I still can't help wondering why that is though." She thought deeply. "I can kind of see Ichigo at first. Him being mad about the way I had left you in all, but for him to still be mad after you forgiven is weird and he doesn't seem like the petty type to me. However, as for Rukia. The girl barely knows me, and I'm pretty sure I've never seen that girl in my entire life."

Everything that Izar was saying were the exact words that came to his mind every time he saw Rukia shoot Izar a peculiar glare or whenever he saw Ichigo sharing hushed words with Rukia when he was around. He knew they were talking about Izar and obviously him too, but why? What was it with them both and Izar?

'I might just have to ask them about it when Izar' isn't around.'

"Okay, the arcade's over there, guys." Izar's voice broke through Chad's fog of thoughts, "Here's some bills so you can get change. I won't be long, alright? Now you have fun with Chad." She gave both of the boy's hair with her hands.

She turned to Chad and gave him her impish smile that made his heart flutter every time she did it. At times he wondered if Izar knew just how much of an effect she had on him. She already told him that she was aware of how much he cared about her but did she realize that he loved her yet? That he would willingly do anything and everything for her without any questions asked?

"I'll be quick so don't get too bored without me." She whispered to him jokingly giving him a wink.

Chad felt the corners of his mouth turn up in a small smile. The small group split up with Izar going one way and Chad and the two boys going the other. Chad let Kenji and Jiro lead the way into the arcade. Just as he expected the place was near crowded with kids of all ages playing various forms of games around them. After the boys had gotten their change they ran off like rockets towards one of the videogame machines. Chad was barely able to keep tabs on them. He joined them at the game machine as the two boys were duking it out with their 3D characters on the screen.

"You wanna play after I finish beating Jiro, Chad?" Kenji asked him.

"Hey!" Jiro cried out indignantly.

"Oh no, I'm fine. I'd rather watch you two play."

"Oh yeah, you don't like videogames." Kenji said dismissively.

"So, are you Miss Izar's boyfriend?" Jiro asked Chad nonchalantly.

Chad felt his face tighten up before he answered, "No, I'm just a friend of hers."

"You do like her though, right?" Kenji pressed on, still staring intently at their game.

"It's pretty obvious you do." Jiro added.

Chad couldn't help but be amused at how the two boys were teaming up to tease him about his feelings for Izar.

"Jiro likes Izar, too. That's why he calls her Miss all the time." Kenji blurted out then giving his friend a teasing smile as Jiro blushed a dark red.

"Shut up, Kenji." Jiro exclaimed embarrassed.

"J_iro love Izar, Jiro loves Izar._" Kenji started teasing him in song.

Jiro face was becoming so flushed at the moment Chad thought that if he gotten any redder he would explode.

"Alright, that's enough teasing Kenji." Chad told him.

"Okay," Kenji sighed, "I can still tease you though, right?" he turned his jeering eyes to Chad.

"Wha…Huh?" Chad questioned, taken aback at Kenji's sudden comment.

"I'm just messing with ya." Kenji said with a wave of his hands. "Besides I would much rather see you with Izar than Jiro. That would just be awkward."

"You're really hilarious Kenji." Jiro shot sarcastically at his friend, his expression sour from Kenji's insistent teasing.

"Boo ya, I won again!" Kenji shouted triumphantly as his character did a victory stance on the screen with the indication of his victory flashing at the bottom of the screen in bold letters.

"Yeah, wait 'til I get on the stick." Izar's voice challenged cockily.

All their heads turned around to see Izar approaching them, a huge bouquet of white lilies tied together with a big black bow in her hands. Holding those flowers Chad knew that the younger boys were thinking the same thing as him. Izar looked like a beauty queen contestant who everybody knew will win hands down because she was just that much more beautiful than the other contestants.

"Here Chad, hold these." Izar instructed Chad holding the flowers out to him.

She strutted over to the arcade machine, Jiro gladly stepping aside for her to take his stick. She took his place at the joystick, then looked over at now less than boastful Kenji.

"Ready for this?" Izar asked quirking an eyebrow at him.

"You know what? Suddenly I'm not much in the mood for videogames anymore." Kenji said slowly, stepping away from the machine.

"Oh you suck!" Izar cried with a smile, "I thought you wanted to do some gaming."

"Well, now I don't. Let's do something else." Kenji suggested.

"What else do you wanna do?" Chad asked him.

Kenji looked at Jiro, locking gazes with him for a moment before a grin crept across both of their faces. Turning back to Izar and Chad they both chorused loudly, "Comic Book Store!"

Izar let out a little snort as she smirked at their answer, "I should have figured. If there's one thing you guys love more than your videogames it's your comic books. Though I do have one humble request."

"What's that?" the boys asked in perfect unison making Chad wonder if they did it on purpose or was it something that just happened with them all the time.

"You see the big bouquet right? Can I drop that off first before we go to the comic book store?" she asked them both with a little pout.

"Oh sure Miss Izar." Jiro beamed happily.

At his eager reaction Chad caught Kenji covering his mouth and giggling behind his hand so Jiro wouldn't notice him laughing. He also felt a tug at the corners of his mouth from seeing just how much the young boy did admire Izar. If anything he found it funnier because once he thought about it Jiro's affections for Izar didn't really differ too much from his own.

"Thanks guys. Don't tell your moms but I'll get you guys some ice cream on me okay?" she said giving them a big wink.

Kenji and Jiro nodded enthusiastically.

Cyrus's POV

Cyrus skidded to a stop in the front of the porch, simultaneously furling up his wings as he landed. Dusting himself off and looking around to make sure nobody just got an eyeful of the handsome young man with fiery blonde hair flying around with golden wings, he made his way to the front door of the house where Izar stayed at. He knocked on the door politely and waited until somebody came to answer. When the door opened he was only half expecting Izar to answer but he was still surprised nonetheless when he saw another teenage girl answer the door and she surely wasn't his tomboyish, goofball buddy.

The moment the two of them locked eyes with each other Cyrus watched as the girl's expression went through a metamorphosis of sorts. Upon answering the door she wore a scowl on her face, the face of a girl who had a really bad day who was ready to unleash it on whomever it was that she expected to be at the door. Then it changed to pleasant surprise when she gotten a good look at Cyrus standing in the porch. Now, from what Cyrus could tell, her eyes were lighting up and somewhere within the girl's mind there must have been birds singing and a ray of light shining from the heavens.

'Oh great,' he thought with a mixture tiredly and annoyingly, 'I've had more than my share of this look being cast into my direction to know that she's instantly becoming smitten with me. Now I'll have to be extra cautious about this situation.'

It sounds a little arrogant but it's also a known fact. Cyrus was quite used to girls becoming infatuated with him on sight. Why just today alone, if he excluded the girl staring at him now, he had been given this look at least seven times today.

"Um…Hey," he greeted lowly with a small smile.

"Hiya there," the girl responded.

Cyrus felt his insides cringe when the girl laid it on thick with making he voice sound extra husky and deep in an attempt to turn him on or something. It took everything in him to cover his face with his hand and just walk away with his head bowed in shame for her.

"My name's Cyrus, is Izar here?" he asked politely.

"You mean the little shaggy haired midget that took over my room and my family while I was gone?" the girl asked raising a pierced eyebrow, dropping her sexy voice for a moment.

From the change in attitude she had just shown at the mention of Izar Cyrus could tell that the two must have had a bad first meeting. Perhaps that why the girl looked ready to pounce on him when she answered the door. She probably was ready to give Izar a piece of her mind.

"Excuse me?"

The girl let out a deep sigh, then blew up at her long bangs that hung in her face similar to the way he and Izar wore their bangs, "Name's Kyoko by the way."

"Nice to meet you."

"The girl you're looking for, she's short, dark skin compared to you and me, long black hair and comes off sort of boyish, especially in the way she talks?" she described.

"Yeah, that's her. Is she here?"

"Nope, if anything her and my dweeb of a little brother should have been home about two hours ago. Probably scared to come back here and face me after what she caused this morning."

Cyrus became a little curious about the situation that Kyoko was talking about but he was learning how to keep his strong sense of curiosity under control. After all, the last time he let his curiosity get the better of him he had found something he felt he would have been better off not seeing at all. So he kept his mouth shut and instead asked, "Do you know when she'll be back? Or do you have any idea where she might be?"

"No," the snorted, "Why should I? However, I could give her a message for you if you want me to." She offered, her overly sexy voice returning tenfold.

"Eh, I'd rather deliver the message to her myself." Cyrus said stepping backwards off of the porch, "Just tell her when she gets in that Cyrus stopped by for her and to get back to me."

"Wait, you don't maybe want to come in and wait for her?" Kyoko offered, the desperation in her voice becoming as thick as her false sex kitten accent from only moments before.

"Nah, I gotta get going." Cyrus assured knowing what she was clearly trying to lead this to, "Just get word of my visit to Izar, okay? Bye now." With that he turned around and full on power walked away from the house, feeling Kyoko's eyes bore into his back as he was walking away.

"This is so friggin' annoying." He cursed under his breath, kicking a rock angrily as he walked, "Every girl I come within ten feet of act like they want me to bang the hell out them after only five minutes of meeting me. While the one I do want acts like she'd rather not acknowledge my feelings and keep me on the 'just friends' basis."

'What's the point in being absolutely irresistible to females if the one I want attention from just seems repellant to whatever it is that draws the others?' he thought.

"I know she's with him. I can just feel it, I know she's out with that Chad guy somewhere. What is it about him that he's able to attract her but I can't? What?"

Just then something strange happened. One minute Cyrus was walking down a neighborhood street in Karakura Town and then in the next vision he came to a stop as something started to go wrong with his eyesight. While he was looking forward the scene before him started to whirl and warp starting from the center and then branching out. Before he knew everything around him started to spin and spiral.

"What the hell?" he cursed, coming to an immediate stop in his tracks to look around.

As the world spiraled more and more the atmosphere also darkened radically. Soon leaving Cyrus standing dazed and confused in a world of darkness.

"What the hell is going on?" he cried out angrily searching through the pitch blackness around him, but it was all in vain as even the gifted eyesight of the Sun Empyrean Angel couldn't pierce the blackness around him.

Suddenly after a few minutes of standing in the darkness, his eye darting here and there frantically Cyrus felt goose bumps arise on his skin. From nowhere a strong gust of bone-chilling wind started to wisp about in the darkness. It was a light breeze at first that tickled as it chilled also. Yet quickly it started picking up speed and strength, whipping at Cyrus's inappropriately dressed body. The wind started to numb his face, arms, and hands. His ears started burning badly. Cyrus subconsciously dropped down in a kneeling position, wrapping his arms around himself, and trying to still his chattering teeth.

"Shit, it's gotten cold all of a sudden." He muttered under his breath, "Time to get some heat up in here."

Like sparking a match Cyrus was lit ablaze by his fiery aura outlining and pulsating off of his body. Slowly he stood to his feet, letting his powers warm him back up. Just as he was rising the blackness he was standing in started to fade away into a change of scenery. The lighter it became around him Cyrus knew he wasn't looking at the same place he was before this happened. Instead of the neighborhood where he was retreating from his new admirer who might as well be put on his ever growing list, he now was standing in the backdrop of a vast, deserted landscape. Far as his eyes could see, which is pretty friggin' far, he couldn't see any signs of life there. Only thing in sight were a flat, straight plain of glittering black with a glowing, translucently white crescent moon looming over the horizon in a dismal gray sky, with wisps crimson red clouds floating by. There was fierce wind that whipped about all around, scattering the black soft, thin layer of the plains everywhere.

Cyrus shielded his eyes against the fluttering black substance as it sailed from the ground in the air around him.

"What is this stuff?" he asked swishing his foot in the part he was standing on.

The substance was slushy, like ice when it was crushed up really fine. Cyrus kneeled down a little and grazed the top of his hot hand across the surface and watched as it liquefied under his touch. Turning into thin black water.

"It's black ice you're standing on." A voice said from somewhere in his vicinity that knocked him out of his curious thoughts for the moment, "If I hadn't known any better I'd have sworn you were a little slow, Solar Wing."

In contrast to his fiery body temperature at the second Cyrus felt an ice sickle wrap around his spinal cord like an icy python and his heart jumped into his throat, threatening to gag him. He started trying to swallow it down but it felt like trying to swallow a rock. His breathing started increasing dramatically, his eyes started darting to and fro scanning the area around him for the source of the voice.

"Oh Solar Wing, look how you've grown in the year you've been launching a one man army against my minions."

"Th…Thoth?" Cyrus stammered, his scanning becoming more frantic.

A noise that sounded like loud whipping of wind came from behind him causing him to whirl around quickly just in time to catch four, silvery-white, black tipped wings furling up behind the silhouette of a young man standing only a few feet behind him. He was standing with his back towards the moonlight, causing his front to be cast in shadow.

"Why Solar Wing," Thoth said, the prominent tinge of fondness in his elegant tone, "You look as if you're seeing a ghost."

Cyrus watched as Thoth stepped closer to him making it so his front wasn't cast in shadow anymore. Just as he had said about Cyrus changing Thoth himself underwent a dramatic transformation. His hair was cut much shorter, its color and texture having changed from its original silvery white layers to it now being the color of midnight purple, the layers being eliminated so his hair just framed his face like a helmet. His skin was even more pale, almost translucent like the moon above. It was much more noticeable thanks to the dark clothing he was wearing, with his blue veins showing like blue threads through his skin, all over his body, and his colored crescent moon mark almost glowing against his face. What with its midnight purple thick out line, violet shaded thin lines, and blue smaller crescent moons design. His face that always held a calm, serene expression was teeming to the brim with manic evil making him appear much older than he actually was. His once slender build was now massively muscular to the point Izar's friend Chad was the only comparison Cyrus could think to make. All Cyrus could think of by staring at his former friend's build were the words "Midnight Mountain" because that was exactly what Thoth personified.

The only thing that didn't change about the young man that was standing in front of him now were the slanted, silvery gray eyes that were staring steely and harshly into Cyrus's face.

"What the hell happened to you?" Cyrus asked him, choking it over his heart still lodged in his throat.

"I decided that I should get a new look since I'm coming back into commission as the head bad guy in your life." Thoth told Cyrus mockingly. "I've realized that I was much too pretty and demure in my appearance to be a true villain so I toned it up a bit from the last time we saw each other. How long ago was that, eh Solar Wing?" he asked him cocking his head to the side with a wicked smirk appearing his lips.

"Don't call me that." Cyrus growled his fear and surprise slowly morphing into the undying hate that he bore for this person.

He held his hand out at his side. With a flicker of golden light a sheathed katana materialized at his side, he tightly clasped his hand around the hilt.

"Hmm?" Thoth raised a now midnight purple eyebrow at the weapon that Cyrus had summoned, "Where'd you learn that nifty trick from?"

"Why am I here, Thoth?" Cyrus gritted through his clenched teeth, taking the sword and unsheathing it, the metal sang as the blade grazed its sides as it was extracted, "I thought your whole angle was to stay cooped up in your almighty fortress in that interdimensional defying reality of yours and sending all your creations to do your dirty work. You're no better than those psycho scientists that used to hunt us."

"Ouch," Thoth smiled, "You really hit me beneath the belt there, Solar Wing."

"I told you not to call me that!" Cyrus cried closing the short distance between him and Thoth, taking a mighty swing with his sword.

Thoth teleported aside, out the way of the oncoming blade, sending Cyrus flying past him. Cyrus quickly recovered twirling his body around to execute a backslash at Thoth. Yet again as before he effortlessly dodged the move and teleported so that he preoccupied the airspace just a little bit above Cyrus's head.

"So you took up sword fighting since the last time we crossed paths?" Thoth questioned.

"I already knew how to use a sword, even back when I was fighting your forces. I just never produced my blade until now. I promised that I would only use this sword for the purpose it was meant to serve, and that's exorcising evil from those it cuts." Cyrus explained to Thoth with his back to him.

"Really?" Thoth said, sounding very amused, "What kind of weapon is that and where in the universe did you get it?"

"Where I got it is none of your concern." Cyrus snapped whipping around to now look up at Thoth, "But I guess you do deserve to know the name of the weapon that will bring your demise. Or at least bring the demise of whatever the hell is possessing you and making you do the horrible things your doing.

"It's called a zanpakuto, it's the greatest weapon carried by a race of beings that protect one dimension and live in another. Kinda like how we were once upon a time. This blade bares the very soul of its wielder and the spirit of a powerful fighter and it's used as a cleansing weapon of sorts. It's main purpose is to purify but it can just as easily destroy too."

"Fascinating, perhaps I should create one myself." Thoth said thoughtfully.

"Now that I answered one of your questions, answer mine's. Why am I here?!" he shouted demandingly at him

"Why do you think you're here, Cyrus?" Thoth asked him, his coolly evil act not faltering in the slightest, "You should have some idea."

"Sorry to say that I don't have any idea along with much patience. Now answer the damn question." Cyrus said very slowly, the words dragging out through his gritted teeth.

"You're no fun, not even one guess, huh? Fine." Thoth's face became rock solid as his wings whipped out in a whoosh and his aura started to pulsate off of his mountainous frame in the similar fashion as Cyrus's, "I brought you here to prove a point, Cyrus."

"A point to who?"

"A point to myself." Thoth replied simply.

Before he knew what happened Thoth was standing face to face with Cyrus, both of his stalwart hands wrapped around Cyrus's throat, squeezing with all his might. Cyrus tightened up the muscles in his neck the best he could to keep from choking too much. Despite this he already started to get tunnel vision was he was slowly fading out of consciousness. He went to raise his sword but his body was already going limp.

"You see boy," Thoth growled at his face, "I'm going to let you in on something. Though I have your friend's face, your friend's speech, your friend's measly excuse for powers, although I may outwardly appear to be your little friend Thoth, I'm not him. Yet you already knew that." He started to lift Cyrus off of the ground by his neck, tightening his grip the best he could muster.

Cyrus was gasping for air like a fish out of water, his legs squirming under him, trying to somehow wiggle his way out of the vice like grasp on his throat. As his sight became darker his aura evaporated from around his body and instantly the feeling of chilling cold overwhelmed his now dying body.

"Here's something you didn't know," he heard Thoth continue as his vision started to fade to black, "When I had taken over this body I was suppose to have completely eliminated the previous mind and spirit from it, but there was something about that little friend of yours that just would not let go. Despite me being the stronger occupant this bastard is still somehow in some way deep inside of me still fighting me off. I have the body but I can't seem to fully have the soul. He just won't let me have the mind or spirit, he won't give it up!!"

Just as Cyrus was sure that he was going to be killed and these were the last words he would hear he suddenly felt his body jerk and go airborne. His body flying on the current of the violent and cold wind until he skidded to a landing in the burningly freezing black snow. Cyrus laid there for a few seconds, waiting as his vision slowly started returning, before he lurched himself upright, gasping in mouthfuls of freezing air to get his breath back.

"Dammit!!" he heard Thoth curse angrily off in the distance, "Dammit, damn him. Him not giving up the mind is also having an effect on the body as well. I still have these idiotic memories of you and that girl. I can't seem to get away from them. Why do you think I've chosen to send others to fight you in my place instead, huh?" he heard Thoth direct towards him causing Cyrus to cast his weary gaze over to him.

Cyrus felt his heart become pained at the conflicting expression on Thoth's face. His face was the greatest depiction of the internal struggle. His silver-gray eyes were now filled with the internal battle of two different men: one a maniacal, evil entity that obviously took over the body of another and forced them to do his bidding, the other he saw vestiges of his friend trying to resurface and come out of whatever hold this being had on him.

"Because this guy won't let me raise a hand towards you. Even now as I was able to snap your scrawny, pretty boy neck I couldn't bring myself to do it because he was fighting the urge. I hate this!" he cried out furiously, his eyes boring into Cyrus.

Cyrus finally stood up off of the ground. In light of everything that just elapsed in the last few seconds he noticed that through it all he still had managed to have a strong hold on the hilt of zanpakuto. However, as he was getting to his feet he didn't raise his sword to strike down Thoth. He was too intrigued by what was going on before him. As he had mentioned earlier Cyrus knew that this wasn't the real Thoth that was going around doing the things that he was. He knew something evil was residing in his friend, even in times when he wasn't so sure just how much was actually Thoth and what was the evil thing inside him playing puppet master. Now he caught Thoth, or whoever it was, in the middle of a monologue that clearly explained the situation at hand. Not just that, but from what was being said now Cyrus had an in depth take into what really happened to Thoth and how he became what he was looking at now.

"I knew you weren't Thoth. You're only using his body, but why is that? What's wrong with you that you don't have a body of your own?" Cyrus asked him, he felt his lips becoming numb and his teeth were rattling like crazy.

"I just simply can't produce a body of my own. With all this limitless cosmic and mystical power I possess the one thing that I can't seem to manage is to create a form I can call my own. It just can't be done." Thoth, or whoever, had explained. "I can't stay in my true form because my powers are too immense. My true form isn't strong enough to sustain my powers and therefore I will fade away if I use them the way I try to."

"So you go around stealing the bodies of others so you can do what you want. Why aren't you still possessing them? Why did you take my friend?"

"The bodies I had either died or I simply became tired of them. They didn't have powers of their own, I liked the fact that you're friend brought something very different to the table."

"That came back to bite you in the ass. Not only does it appear that he's the only one you've possessed to have powers of his own but he's also the first one you couldn't control that easy." Cyrus relished in knowing the enemy before him that he had called undefeatable at one point had a big Achilles heel.

"Sure, enjoy this while you can. Of course I don't enjoy having to share a mind, body, and spirit with this pesky friend of yours. I hate how all of my memories and dreams are filled with nothing but you and that girl. How every time I see you I want to kill you right where you stand but I can't. How I'm spending time that I could be using striving towards my goal to rule over all the dimensions on trying to retrieve this Cellie girl from wherever she is." He spat exasperatedly. "The reason I summoned you here now is because I wanted to prove to myself and your friend inside of me that I could kill you, but I see I was wrong."

"Keep fighting him, Thoth!" Cyrus blurted out suddenly that surprised both him and his enemy. "I'll release you soon. I promise!"

"Shut up, you bastard!" Thoth screeched at him, his aura pulsating more vibrant and violent off of him, "I'm through talking with you. I've said enough as is."

Thoth launched at him like an effervescent blue missile at full speed. Cyrus struck a firm, strong fighting stance, his zanpakuto ready at his side, his wings whipping out with the same whoosh as Thoth's.

'Time to turn on the heat.' Cyrus thought as he watched his possessed best friend approaching him menacingly.

Cyrus inhaled deeply and bellowed out bravely and fiercely, "_Burn! Hizashi Doki!!_"

Calling the command released his zanpakuto, taking on the form of another weapon. In a split second, Cyrus's katana had been encased in a golden light. The light had transformed the blade into that of a _Nodachi_ sword. The light encasing it suddenly burst into a lively flame that danced around the blade, making it seem as if the sword was made of nothing but fire. He saw Thoth's eyes widen in amazement at the transformation that Cyrus made the blade go through. When he was close enough Cyrus thrust his sword aimed right at his face. Thoth recovered by the skin of his teeth, sidestepping the blow with the blade, spinning around, then delivering a solid right jab to Cyrus's face. Cyrus stumbled but caught his footing to strike his fighting stance again. He felt as Thoth teleported into the air inches above him and tried to counter his impending attack by thrusting his flame encased Nodachi sword up at him. Thoth knocked the blade aside and dropped kicked Cyrus in his chest. Before he could recover from the blow Thoth followed up with another kick to Cyrus's abdomen, making him skid across the surface of the black ice yet again.

Quickly Cyrus got up, seeing that his heated powers had caused the top layer of the black icy surface to melt and liquefy. Knowing that this would make things for him harder in the fight he retreated into the air. Looking down to see Thoth staring at him murderously. Cyrus readied his sword again, returning Thoth's evil glare.

"Flaunt that fancy sword all you want, boy." Thoth scoffed at him from below, "It's no good if you can't touch me with it."

"Shut up!!" Cyrus roared folding his wings to go in for a nosedive right at him.

Thoth's face lit up evilly as he knelt down, touching the liquid surface of the ice caused by Cyrus. He shot his hand forward and from nowhere a wave of melted black ice shot up towards Cyrus. He tried to come to a halt in his dive but was caught in the chilling, onslaught of melted black ice turned tidal wave. He fell to the ground with a small splash on the surface. He sat up, shaking out his drenched hair when Thoth released another relentless water assault. All Cyrus could remember was sitting up, then another tidal wave of cold black knocking him further across the slick surface of the plains. He barely had time to recover from his latest shower as Cyrus glanced up from lying on his back to see Thoth's smiling face towering over his.

"Oh Solar Wing you're so hot!" Thoth teased him, mimicking the voice of a ditzy teenaged girl "You're melting the ice around you."

Cyrus noticed that the longer he lay on the ground, the higher the level of the bed of water got. Thoth knelt down besides the other young man's body, grinning from ear to ear, "Give it up boy. You can't beat me even if you're friend is holding me back. Don't worry though, I'll find a way to finally erase every trace of your friend from this body so it will become completely mine's. Then I can finally kill you, finally finish my master plan of ruling over all of the dimensions, and finally get the girl that you two seem to be oh so crazy about." He mocked.

At the mention of Izar Cyrus leapt back into action, pouncing on top of Thoth like an animal. Both of them went rolling through the drenched surface, splashing water everywhere. When the two came to a stop Cyrus was on top of Thoth, his flaming blade right at the base of his opponent's throat.

"I thought you hated everything that dealt with Thoth's mind. Why do you still want with Celestial Wing?" Cyrus demanded madly, he felt himself losing his sanity every moment he stayed with this Thoth imposter.

Still, in spite of having the tip of a sword at his neck, Thoth's smug smile didn't waver, "Struck a nerve did I? You think I want to constantly think about that girl? Have dreams of all the things I, or should I say Thoth, wants to do to her?"

"Shut the damn hole in your face right now." Cyrus growled warningly but it did nothing to slow him down.

"The only reason I'm even considering having her around, even after I fully consume this body is because from the memories that I'm allowed to see, she's quite the beautiful young lady." He laughed malevolently right into Cyrus's fuming face.

"Die!!!" Cyrus screamed going to run the sword through his neck, wanting to shut him up forever.

Yet he had to stop himself because as he looked him in the eyes he saw an instant transformation in them. How they had gone from the cynical, smug, evil eyes of a monster to the apologetic, melancholy, caring eyes of the person who originally owned those eyes.

"Thoth?" Cyrus said so low it wasn't even a whisper but movements of the lips were now sound escaped.

"Do it, Cyrus." Thoth begged him in his regular voice that struck a strong chord in Cyrus's heart. "Cut me so he can get out of me. Go on, do it." He begged more urgently and shakily.

"It won't work this way, Thoth." Cyrus said hoarsely. "If I cut you now, I'll kill you instead and he can have your body."

"He only did this because he knew you would back down from it. Now do it!!" he shouted at him.

"Come back out here, you cowardly bastard. Come on!!" Cyrus baited for the spirit possessing him to surface again.

"Stab me, Cyrus!!"

"NO!!!" Cyrus yelled, throwing his flaming sword aside like it was garbage.

The moment the sword was out of his grasp it transformed back to its regular katana form. Extinguishing his powers, Cyrus got off of Thoth and started to walk away from his friend. While his back was turned he heard a familiar mocking and sadistic laugh ring out from behind him. The minute the sound met his ears he felt his insides burn with hot intensity of a thousand suns.

"Oh my word, you are such a sap." He heard the Thoth imposter say, "Who'd have figured you had such a soft spot for your friend that openly betrayed you and her. The very one that beaten you to a pulp and tried to whisk the object of your affection away from you so they could live happily ever after."

"You're lying. I already know that was you controlling Thoth, making him do those things." Cyrus said evenly, bending down to pick up his discarded weapon.

"Oh see, that's where the line on this whole situation starts to blur. There was one major detail I had left out about how I operate in this whole taking bodies thing."

"What detail is that?" Cyrus asked tiredly.

"I can't enter a person's body unless they invite me to."

That last sentence had gotten Cyrus's attention again. He just said he couldn't enter a body without being invited. That meant…

"You must have tricked him into giving his body to you somehow." Cyrus accused but his voice didn't hold the steely resolve of a true believer in his words.

"Believe you me, you're friend didn't need much persuasion to let me occupy his body. All he needed were the promises of unlimited power, getting the girl of his dreams at his side, and disposing of the very obvious competition."

"Listen, obviously we both disproved ourselves right now." Cyrus snapped sharply, cutting Thoth off in his jeeringly evil taunt.

"Excuse me?"

"You brought me here to see if you could kill me by overpowering Thoth's still fighting subconscious. That was disproved when Thoth instead make you release me. I wanted to prove to myself that I could not only defeat you, but that I would gladly drive a sword through my best friend in order to save him, but as you se you're still standing. So how's about we both cut our losses and you send me back the same way you got me here."

Cyrus then felt the presence of Thoth teleport so that he was standing to the side of him, breathing like an angered bull down his neck, "You only speak that way to me because you know your friend will prevent me from doing any major harm to you. Cherish that while you can because when we meet again he won't be able to be your ticket out anymore. And fine, I will send you back, but not without this little mind fuck."

"Give your best shot." Cyrus challenged him strongly, turning to bore his sky blue eyes in his silver gray ones.

"Remember the day when Thoth finally returned, destroyed that entire town, and beat you to a pulp before trying to kidnap Celestial Wing?" he asked quirking an eyebrow upwards.

"How can I forget something like that?" Cyrus asked acidly.

"How would you take it if I told you I had nothing with that?"

Cyrus felt his heart jump slightly but he made sure his outer demeanor stayed absolutely stoic.

"Outside of the fact that I lent him my powers so he could increase his, all that chaos, destruction, and pain he inflicted was all his doing. You don't have to believe me if you don't want to, but he would tell you himself if he wanted to…"

Cyrus took a few steps back as watched the Thoth imposter suddenly crumble to his knees in the refreezing black ice.

"You little brat," he heard him growl angrily, "What are you trying to do?"

After a few minutes passed of him being crumpled up he got shakily back to his feet again. This time Cyrus felt his gaze go right for his eyes. Thoth was back in control again.

"Is what he said true?" Cyrus demanded instantly.

"I told you to stab me. I don't deserve to face you or her after what I had done." Thoth told him remorsefully.

Cyrus became a bundle of emotions at his friend's confession. Should he take him up on his offer and stab him now and not care that he would kill him? Or should he spare him, not just for him but for Izar too who would never forgive him for killing Thoth when he could have saved him instead. He felt his body temperature rise again, signaling things would become violent again if he didn't end this soon. Finally, after seconds of thoughts that felt like they were stretched forever Cyrus finally asked, "What's his true name?"

Thoth gave him a questioning look.

"I asked what's the real name of whoever it is possessing you?!" Cyrus asked him more forcefully.

"He calls himself Tzyr." Thoth answered following a moment of hesitation, "From what he tells, he's the cosmic spirit of Chaos."

"Now send me back," he instructed him, "When we meet again I'll end this conflict with my blade. Whether it has to pierce you or him."

"I wouldn't expect it to end in any other way." Thoth replied.

The last image Cyrus remembered was staring into Thoth's eyes watching as they changed from his back to Tzyr's before everything faded to black.

When Cyrus opened his eyes he saw the faces of Kisuke, Tessai, Ginta, and Ururu all over top of him, staring at him with worried expression on their faces. Cyrus's eyes darted confusedly from face to face to face before he asked simply, "What am I doing back here?"

"We became a little worried when you didn't return as quickly as you said you would. So I went out to find you and found you I did." Kisuke explained.

"Yes, he found you passed out in the middle of a sidewalk in a neighborhood not too far from where your friend Izar lives." Tessai said.

"At first I was a little worried that you were dead but after finding that you had a greatly reduced pulse I just brought you back here and have been waiting forever for you to wake up."

Cyrus processed everything that they had just told him. 'So he hadn't really summoned me to a different place after all.' He thought. 'He only transported my mind, my subconscious. Is that how he was able to trick Thoth? Did he invade his mind like he just did mine's? That would explain the change in Thoth's personality in the time leading up everything.'

Cyrus squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth in frustration. This whole mess was becoming too much for him to handle anymore. Just when he thought he had gotten one piece to the puzzle that is the mystery of Thoth's descent into evil in place, it managed to make him less confident of where the other pieces that he had should go. Like Tzyr as Thoth had said, the lines between him controlling Thoth and Thoth doing things himself were becoming blurrier. So it wasn't Tzyr that had tried to kill him, killed all those people and destroyed that town, and tried to trick Izar into going with him. It was Thoth. So that left the question of just how long was Thoth in control before Tzyr finally decided to take the wheel? Was that Thoth that he encountered in the time he was fighting his forces? Or was he at that point fighting for his body from Tzyr?

"Dammit," Cyrus breathed, sitting up quickly, causing the others gathered around him to lean back. ""My head is starting to hurt."

He grabbed the side of his head and started using his imprint to contact Izar. It had been awhile since he had used it and he wasn't so certain that it was still in good using shape following the time he had been blocking it from Izar's, but he didn't care about that right now. What he cared about right now was having his friend beside him.

'I need you right now, Iz. I need my friend, I need my Cellie.'

********************************************************************************************************************

That was Chapter Fifteen everybody. It's long but I particularly liked this one because I feel a lot of ground was covered. Like finally introducing the poor, tortured, split personality disorder having Thoth into the story, letting Cyrus show off his zanpakuto (Fun Fact: his zanpakuto's name means "Sunlight's Wrath" in English), and Kyoko meeting Cyrus and instantly becoming smitten because that will play a huge role in the following drama of the story. Not to mention that I think this well sets the stage for my next chapter which, I'll throw you guys a bone here, and say will cover Kisuke finally getting Izar's mind off of Chad and into training to get herself stronger.


	16. Chapter 16

Sorry about the long wait for the update, but I'm pretty sure two chapters will make you forgive me. This is Chapter Sixteen! We're nearing the end of the first story but we still have a long way to go. So hang in there!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. Period. I only Own Iz, Cy, and Thoth.

*********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Sixteen: Afternoon Delight

Izar's POV

"So, you're just gonna set the flowers on the porch, knock on the door, and run away?" Chad asked Izar with a quizzical expression in his face.

Izar and he were standing just outside of the clinic in which Ichigo stayed at with his father and two sisters. Though her intent was to buy the flowers and deliver them she had wanted to do it anonymously. Not knowing how exactly Ichigo or anybody else in the family would react to her act of kindness.

"Yeah, I know it seems strange but I'm a strange person, Chad. You of all people should know that." She cast him a glance out the corner of her eyes.

"Yeah, I do." He replied with a shrug, "But isn't that what I like about you?"

Izar let out a small laugh, "I suppose. Now start walking to meet up with Jiro and Kenji at the corner. I won't be long." She instructed him.

Chad made a noise of comprehension before stepping away from Izar to join the two boys who were lapping at their ice cream cones happily, standing on the corner. Izar watched him go for a few seconds, admiring the upright, erectness of his walk. His broad shoulders were thrown back and he kept his head leveled in his long strides. Despite his somewhat quiet nature, his walk was oddly confident.

"Is it me or is his walk sorta sexy?" She thought out loud amusedly, before turning her attention back to her task at hand.

Taking a deep breath, she quickly made her way up the walkway towards the Kurosaki clinic slash home. It was right about the time when she was readying to set the flowers on the porch when she became strangely aware of somebody watching her. The minute she felt it she stopped in her tracks. Should she still go through with it? Or should she really just deliver the flowers personally like a regular person would do?

'Well, you're not exactly a regular person, Iz.' She thought to herself. 'A normal person doesn't have wings and can fly, or has powers.'

"Still…" she thought out loud, eyeing the door to the clinic.

As if to solve her dilemma she watched as one of Ichigo's kid sisters walked out into the lobby and made a B-line for the door she was standing in front of. It wasn't the pretty, innocent looking brunette but the raven haired girl who put Izar in mind of herself when she was that age. Tomboyish to the point she was at times mistaken for a little boy. Back then her hair was much shorter and she had yet to develop her feminine shape. The girl opened the glass door, the whole time eyeing the flowers in Izar's hands.

"Hey, I know you, don't I?" she asked with a curious expression on her face.

"Yeah, vaguely. I was here not too long ago with a friend of mine's that had gotten hurt." Izar explained with a shy smile.

"Oh right, you were the giant guy's girlfriend." She said with a smirk on her lips.

"I'm not his girlfriend." Izar objected, feeling her face turning red, "Anyway, I came to give something to you and your family."

"The bouquet?" she raised an eyebrow.

Izar nodded, "I heard about your mother from a few classmates of mine's today. So I got you something for when you go to see her. I hope that's alright." She added quickly.

The girl didn't say anything for a moment, just kept staring at the bouquet in her hands. Izar wondered for a moment if this was going to end well or not. Finally the girl spoke again, casting her gaze into Izar's eyes.

"How'd you figure lilies were my mother's favorites?" she asked.

Izar felt her eyes go even wider (considering they were already quite big) in surprise at what the girl had said, "I…it was…the florist actually helped me pick them out. You see, I'm not really a flower person. So I asked what kind of flowers would be the best for such an occasion and she suggested these." She stammered out like an idiot, "It was a coincidence really."

The girl was quiet for another second before she extended her arms stiffly, "Well, thank you. I'm sure my mother will like them."

"Oh, I sure hope so." Izar said placing the bouquet in the girl's arms.

"No offense, but I could tell you're not really a flower person. That's why I asked." She admitted.

Izar let out a small sigh, having been relieved that this little encounter went fairly well, "I gotta get going. My brother, and his friend, and my friend are waiting for me."

"Okay, thanks for the flowers again." She said waving at her.

"Bye." Izar said leaving.

"So how did it go?" Kenji asked when she met back up with them.

"It went good. I think his sister saw me so she came to get the flowers herself. She freaked me out when she asked me how I knew her mother's favorite flowers were lilies." She laughed nervously. "So, you guys said the comic book store after this, right?

"Actually Miss Izar," Jiro said politely, "It's getting late and my mom will probably start to worry about me. I should be heading back."

"Oh okay, can we walk you home then? Maybe we can hit the comic book store another time." Izar offered.

"No, I'll be fine on my own but thanks for the offer and thanks for letting me hang out with you guys today. It was really fun." Jiro smiled.

"No problem, Jiro. I actually like hanging out with you two wee men." Izar said teasingly, going over to wrap her arms around Jiro and started to nuzzle against him as if he were a pet cat. "Hey Jiro, are you catching a cold or something?" she asked him, noticing how his temperature shot through the roof at her touching him.

"N…no, why?" he stammered shakily.

"You're burning up." she said pressing the palm of her hand to his forehead.

She cast a worried look over at Kenji and Chad but the two seemed to share the same slightly amused expression on their faces for the moment. Like there was a joke going on and she was definitely left out of the loop.

"Guys, this isn't amusing." Izar scolded, "I think Jiro is running a fever."

"I have a suggestion that could cool him off." Kenji offered, she could tell from the quivering corners of his mouth that he was stifling a laugh.

"What?"

"Take a few steps away from him." Kenji advised.

"Okay, like this?" she asked taking a good three steps back from Jiro.

"Let me check." Kenji walked over to Jiro and mimicked the same motion of pressing his hand against his friend's forehead like Izar did only a few seconds before.

While he was doing this Izar noticed how red Jiro's face had gotten.

"Yep, he's cooling off now." Kenji gave Jiro a jeering smirk, one that Jiro returned with a look of contempt.

"I'm leaving now." Jiro announced turning on his heel and walking away, "Bye Miss Izar."

"Bye Jiro," she waved at him, "I wonder what that was all about." She turned to cast a glare at the still amused Chad and Kenji.

"Well?" she pressed on.

Chad walked over to her, his mouth tugging at the corners, "It's not nice to tease little boys with your charms, Izar."

"How was I teasing him?" she questioned raising an eyebrow.

"Oh brother," Kenji said shaking his head, "Is she really this clueless?" he asked Chad.

"Clueless about what?" Izar asked Chad also.

"It's nothing." He replied quickly, ushering her along with Kenji.

"No, I really wanna know." Izar kept pressing on as they continued walking.

"Just leave it, Izar." Kenji told her, "If it was really meant for you to know then you would."

"Oh, that's a crock of bull." Izar protested, ruffling Kenji's dark hair roughly. "You guys are hiding something and just want to leave me out of the loop. Fine, I don't care. I'm happy you two have bonded enough to the point where you feel you can keep secrets from me…" her voice broke off at the end of her sentence.

"Izar?" Kenji asked worriedly.

"You're okay, right?" Chad asked, sharing in Kenji's sudden concern.

Just then Izar stopped in her tracks, burying her face in her hands, as her shoulders started to tremble slightly, as if she was trying to stifle some sobs from coming through.

"She can't be crying." Kenji said shakily going over to her with Chad right on his heels, "Izar, you don't have to take it to heart we were just teasing ya." He said soothingly going to touch her.

Suddenly, quick as lightning, Izar shot out her hand, took hold of Kenji's, and pulled him forward until his head was caught in the crook of her arm.

"What the…!" Kenji exclaimed, starting to struggle against Izar's hold.

"Ah ha ha, Can't believe you fell for that Kenji. You are sure gullible." Izar teased him, laughing manically before rubbing her fist into his head in a ferocious noogie.

"Cut it out, Iz!" Kenji protested, still trying to break free.

Izar released the young boy, sending him wailing backwards until he landed with an "Oof!" escaping his lips as he landed on the ground, "That wasn't funny, Izar." He growled at her, rubbing his head, "I really thought I hurt your feelings or something."

"Oh, C'mon, you should know by now I'm not that sensitive." She smiled at him then turned her smile to Chad who just seemed to be realizing that the whole crying act was only for pretend. "I'm fine, really." She assured him softly.

"I really thought you were upset with us." Chad repeated Kenji's earlier statement.

"Jeez, don't tell me I can't just kid around with you guys anymore?"

"Sure you can. Just don't pretend to cry." Kenji said getting to his feet and dusting himself off, "IT makes guys uncomfortable when girls cry."

"Ah, I see." She nodded comprehensively at Kenji.

Izar felt a shiver go up her spine in the next instant as she felt Chad's presence come to rest behind her. His warmth radiating off of him, making her insides melt to goo. He was standing so close behind her she felt his body slightly brush her back, sending another shiver up her spine. One she had to shake out animatedly.

"Are you cold?" Chad asked innocently.

"No, just you coming up behind me like that gave a shiver is all." She smiled uneasily up, over her shoulder at him.

Chad looked over Izar at Kenji who was standing away from them, "Kenji you wouldn't mind walking up ahead of us, would you? I'd like a moment with Izar alone."

Kenji shot the twosome a knowing smirk, "Sure, Chad. You take all the time you want with her. Just behave you two." He wagged a warning finger at them like a mother would do a naughty child.

Izar found herself becoming annoyed at Kenji's insinuating jeering at her, "Oh go on," she told him through curled lips, shooing him away with her hands like a pesky bird.

Kenji let out a hearty laugh before he started to walk down the street, leaving her alone with Chad. Izar went to turn around to face him but stopped once she felt Chad's breath on the nape of her neck as he leaned down behind her so his lips were close to her ear. Her heart starting pounding like crazy in her chest and she was pretty sure it was loud enough for Chad to hear it. She tried to keep her breathing steady but being close to him like this always made her feel funny, not the unpleasant kind of funny though. The funny associated with something new and slowly becoming enjoyable.

"Can you close your eyes for a minute?" he whispered huskily into her ear.

Izar let out a deep breath to keep herself from going crazy at how hot his voice just then made her. She closed her eyes tightly and felt Chad shifting behind her. She then felt something small and slightly chilly touch her skin just below her throat as it was accompanied with a thin chain wrapping around her neck. Prematurely her eyes shot open as her hand flew to cup the pendant in her hand. Once she was sure Chad had finished clasping it she fingered the pendant eagerly trying to get a feel of what it was. Chad came from behind her to stand in front of her.

"What is it?! What is it?!" she cried eagerly, bouncing on her feet.

"Come on, I'll show you." Chad took her hand in his and led her over to a parked car not too far away from where they were.

It had tinted windows so it was easy to see their reflections in the reflective. Izar leaned in close to the window and studied the new chain hanging around her neck, its pendant dangling just above where her other pendant, which was her four winged chain she started wearing again after returning Cyrus's his. The silver, metal chain hung fairly close to her neck, only being a little bit looser than a choker necklace, hanging from it was a roughly medium sized thick, silver outline in the shape of a ten pointed star that strikingly resembled the star mark on her eye. In the afternoon sunlight, the chain's pendant caught the sun's rays causing it to shine brilliantly like an actual star against her neck. All Izar could do was stare at it in awe before turning her wide gaze onto Chad.

"I know it isn't much, but it was quite a task trying to find a star pendant that had more than five points." He explained, looking down at the ground shyly.

"What do you mean it's not much?" Izar asked him a little indignantly, "Chad, it's beautiful. You see how it's shining in sunlight?" she said holding it up with her thumb so he could see for himself.

"You really think it's beautiful?" he asked her, looking at the pendant then her.

She nodded, as she did he came closer, pulling her in front of him, so her back was against him, then put his big strong arms around her waist. He nestled her against him in the protective yet gentle way Izar noticed he always held her. Through the fabric of his uniform she not only felt his radiant warmth but his sculpted, chiseled body pressing against her back. Placing her arms around his holding her she also noticed that in contrast to his rock hard muscles, Chad's skin was oddly smooth and soft. Like before he leaned down until she felt his breath on her neck and whispered in her ear, "Then it's a prefect match for you."

Izar felt her knees getting a tad wobbly underneath her as she tried to keep herself from obviously swooning over Chad right now.

"I got it yesterday so I could give it to you today." He said.

"That's why you wanted a one on one day?" she asked breathlessly, turning to look at up him over her shoulder.

He took his thumb and ran it across her left eye, smearing some of the concealer make up from it before he simply nodded. In that moment Izar's shimmering dark eyes locked with Chad's soft brown ones and she knew that more than anything she wanted to lean up and kiss him. Not her usual playful pecks at the corner of his mouth, a full on lip lock with his. Sure, it may have been the thing she was trying to avoid doing at all cost, especially considering everything that keeps happening to them. Yeah, there had been a moment similar to this before where she stopped it, telling Chad that she didn't want anything romantic with him right now. So what if kissing him then would have meant she was going back on everything she had said and wanted before, but right now she really wanted this. What harm could one kiss do? Friends kissed each other, she surely kissed Cyrus and Thoth plenty of times.

'But none of those times were anything like this, Iz.' She thought.

Still despite everything from the wheels turning in her head indecisively, the imminent regret and consequences that were sure to follow, and a dozen other things she wasn't considering at the second, she felt herself rise up on the tip of her toes, parting her lips slightly as she went in for Chad's lips that he was now slowly inching towards hers. Just as their lips were about to brush Izar left eye starting to tingle crazy. So much so that she quickly snapped out of her dreamy, romantic haze and pulled herself away from Chad, practically throwing his arms off of her.

"Whoa," she exhaled loudly, not right away noticing the flustered, confused, and extremely disappointed Chad in her midst.

"W…what's wrong?" he stammered, still trying to recover from the moment that was suddenly snatched away from him.

"Is my mark glowing?" she asked turning to him, brushing back her bangs, the tingling in her eye almost growing to point of becoming painful.

Chad stared at her face for a few seconds before he answered, "Yeah, it is."

"Cyrus needs me. Can you catch up with Kenji and make sure he makes it home alright for me, please?" she asked holding her hands in a tiny pray, giving Chad a wide eyed look.

"I'm already on it. You just hurry and see what's up with Cyrus." Chad said understandingly.

Izar knew for a fact she could never get over how cool Chad was about everything. He seemed to have recovered from flustered state in two and two.

"Thank you so much, Chad. For this and necklace. Tell Kenji and Akiko I'll see them later." While she was saying this, her wings unfurled from her back. (This time not damaging her uniform as she had made it a personal project to cut slits in all her upper wear from then on.) in a flash she got to a swift running start before bolting into the air with a mighty flap of her wings.

Within mere minutes Izar was skidding to a stop in front of Urahara's shop. Her wings weren't even fully furled up when she came bolting through the door like a wild woman. Yet this was quite normal when you were dealing with the amazing pull that was known as the Empyrean Angel's imprint. The pull was enough to make you go crazy from wanting to reach your summoning destination.

"Cyrus?! Cyrus?!" she called instantly making her way to the back of the shop.

As she approached it two kids emerged from the shadows of the shop, taking a solid stand in front of her. One was a red haired boy with an unfriendly, mean look on his face and the other was a seemingly sad looking raven haired girl with big eyes, and pink cheeks.

"Hey, who do you think you are bursting into our shop like that?" the boy demanded harshly, pointing the tip of a bat-like object at her face.

He was quickly, and quite harshly, mugged aside by Cyrus who emerged from the back of the shop, "You don't speak to her that way, you little runt." He scolded before throwing his arms around Izar and squeezing tight.

"Cyrus, I got here as fast as I could." Izar said as she returned his embrace with just as much force. "What happened?" she asked pulling away enough to look up at him.

"It's Thoth, Iz." He told her gravely, a shadow falling over his sky blue eyes, "Let's just say I happened to bump into him again, and the encounter was anything but pleasant."

"What?! Bumped into him?" Izar asked stepping out of his arms, feeling her mouth go dry, "You mean he's here?" she asked anxiously, "In Karakura?!"

"Calm down, I made a mistake. It came out wrong." Cyrus soothed sensing her about to explode at the news.

Whether she wanted to admit it or not Izar always took bad news the worst out of the three of them. It was amazing she hadn't had a full on panic attacks as of yet, but there have been instances where she could had.

"I'll explain everything to you in the back."

He placed an arm across her shoulders and started leading her to the back of the shop where the whole ugly story about his encounter with Thoth had to be recounted every disturbing detail after every disturbing detail.

Cyrus's POV

Sometime later, as the two were sitting in a room being accompanied by Kisuke and Tessai who was serving tea, Cyrus had wrapped up his account of everything by telling Izar the shocking revelation Tzyr had revealed to him before his ejection from the reality of black ice.

"So in other words, Thoth was in control at first but this Tzyr guy took over and tried to steal his body away after all the crap with the three of us went down?" Izar asked staring at Cyrus intently but her nerves wasn't as steady as her gaze.

While she raised her cup to her mouth to drink her hands were shaking so badly that she had to set the cup back down because she was spilling its contents everywhere. It pained him to see her getting so worked up like that. He knew that Izar was just as torn over her love for Thoth as much as he was. It was practically excruciating for her to hear him talk about Thoth and what he had become like this, but he felt some kind of solace in the fact that she had been spared seeing it for herself as of yet.

"Evidently so," Cyrus replied darkly, casting his eyes to Izar's fidgety hands on the table, "I got my info straight from the horse's mouth himself. Thoth confirmed that it was him that tried to kill me and destroyed that entire town that day."

"The guilt must be eating him alive." Izar muttered sympathetically, "But what in the hell could have made Thoth accept this thing into his body so willingly? Out of the three of us Thoth always seemed to be the most free spirited and least likely to be manipulated. What could this Tzyr have possibly offered him to make Thoth agree to become his puppet?" she questioned.

Cyrus instantly started feeling a tad guilty at seeing Izar wrack her brain for an answer that he clearly knew. Though he wanted to believe he had told her everything, he left out the part where Tzyr had told him Thoth pretty much gave up his body and sanity just so he could get rid of Cyrus and have Izar all to himself. When it came down to it, the answer was simple. It was jealousy that had gotten the better of Thoth, it was his feelings for Izar and this misguided envy towards Cyrus that was possibly what Tzyr had used as ammo to coax Thoth into becoming his newest body donor. He could have told her that, but he knew Izar would quickly take responsibility for what was happening despite the fact that she can't possibly control the emotions of other people.

'She would think it's her fault if she found out how Thoth had really felt about her. Not to mention outing his feelings would ultimately lead to me having to confess mine's. That's something I would rather avoid at the moment.' He thought.

"What is this Tzyr anyway?" Izar questioned, her eyes darting around the table for an answer from anyone before tangling her hands into her hair and resting her elbows on the table, "I get he's some kind of cosmic spirit that makes a habit of taking bodies and using them but…" she broke off clearly growing exasperated at the millions of questions that were circling her head.

"I'm sorry, Iz. I didn't mean to make this headache yours. I just felt you needed to know about what happened because frankly, he made it pretty clear that his intentions aren't that far off from what Thoth initially wanted." Cyrus explained grabbing one of her hands from her hair and holding it between both of his.

Both his hands were vibrating because of how badly hers were shaking.

"What is that?" she asked tiredly, staring at the table now, her eyes seeming on the verge of sprouting tears.

"Well, that's easy to see little lady," Kisuke spoke up finally after letting Cyrus have the floor, "He wants you at his side as some kind of queen when he rules everything and he wants Cyrus out of the picture because he's sees him as the obstacle that's keeping him from you."

"But why me?!" Izar snapped yanking her hand out of Cyrus's grasp, "There are billions of other girls out there who would probably be all for being the queen over all the dimensions and whatnot. Yet he just had to come after me."

"Maybe it's the familiarity with you." Kisuke answered smoothly, not letting Izar's outburst get him rattled, "Perhaps Thoth at one point in time had feelings for you, so since he is sharing a mind with Tzyr, those feelings might have transferred over to him. Still this all leads up to why your really here." Kisuke shot Cyrus a knowing glance from across the table.

"You mean I was called here for another reason than to hear about how one of my best friends betrayed me, has an evil spirit living inside him, and the fact that he obviously wants me?" Izar asked.

"Yeah," Cyrus answered, "You're here because we really want you to start training with Kisuke now. If Tzyr is really serious about getting his hands on you, which I don't doubt for minute that he isn't, then you need to get stronger so you can combat him may the situation arise that I'm not around to protect you."

Izar let out a small sigh and quirked up the corner of her mouth, "You're right. I did kind of let the whole training thing slip my mind. But you know what," she said, a bright, genuine smile crossing onto her lips, "I'm going to train hard, not just so I can get stronger to protect me but for everyone around me, too. If he's willing to come after Cyrus for me then who's to say he won't go after Akiko and Kenji, or Chad?"

At her saying his name Cyrus felt himself make a face and his body temperature rise slightly.

"I gotta get stronger to protect them and make your job a little easier for you, Cy." She smiled broadly at Cyrus, "To an extend maybe I want to protect you, too. You've been looking out for me ever since I was a pudgy, chicken winged baby. I think it's about time you saw what I'm really capable of in battle."

Cyrus snorted a little as a smirk crossed his face, "Okay, let's see what you've got. Show me I didn't nickname you Scrappy for nothing."

"Good, so it's settled. You're training starts now," Kisuke said brightly getting up from his spot at the table, "Tessai, tell Ginta and Ururu to get the training camp ready."

"Yes sir," Tessai said briskly before leaving to fetch the others.

Kisuke looked back down at the still seated Izar, "I'm a little curious myself to see what our little star girl is able to do. However, I can't have you getting all sweaty and dirty in your pretty uniform now, can I? I'll fetch you some more appropriate clothing for you." He said tipping his bucket hat to them before departing.

"Wow, he didn't waste any time." Izar said to Cyrus.

"That's Kisuke for ya." Cyrus shrugged, then a noticeable glint on Izar's neck caught his attention.

Using those token Empyrean Angel reflexes of his he was within only inches from Izar's face, examining the trinkets hanging from her neck in half the time it would take a regular person to blink. One he already knew was the wing charm that he and Thoth bought Izar way back, but this star pendant hanging from her neck was in deed very new to him and he was certain that he hadn't seen her wearing this beforehand.

"Oh," Izar said the sound of surprise in her voice, "Yeah, that's my new star necklace. It matches my mark. Ain't it cute?"

"Sure, where'd you get it?" Cyrus asked, yet a familiar fire coming to life in his stomach pretty much told him the answer was going to be predictable.

"Chad gave it to me like seconds before you summoned me with your imprint." Izar explained, "See, now I'm wearing a necklace for my mark and my wings which were both given to me by two of the most important people in the world to me." She gushed at him, throwing her arms around him, knocking him to the floor.

"Cut it out, Iz" Cyrus chuckled trying to wiggle out of her grasp.

"Oh come here and give me a big, smooch." She teased, protruding her lips dramatically and making kissing noises at him.

"When you're finished goofing around with Cy, you can put these on and meet me at the camp ground." Kisuke said from the doorway.

"Okay sensei," Izar said brightly giving him a crisp salute, "I did say the right word, right?"

"Sure, but you don't have to be so formal." He brushed off her formality before leaving again.

"Hey Cy," she said looking back at him, this time her eyes set seriously on him.

It was then that Cyrus noticed the position that the two of them were laying in. he was flat on his back with Izar completely on top of him with her arms wrapped him. Seeing this his heartbeat quickly sped up as he realized that if he really wanted to he could throw her to the floor, get on top of her, and do everything to her that he ever dreamed and wished could do. However, thinking of the surrounding circumstances he resisted the urge with all his might.

"Hmm?" he muttered weakly, finding it hard to stare into her eyes and suppress his urges at the same time.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything." He said breathlessly, sitting up on his elbows bringing his face closer to hers.

"If this training takes particularly long, can you go watch over the house for while I'm here?"

"The house?" he raised an eyebrow confused.

"Akiko and Kenji. What with Kyoko coming back and all, the place might get less civil if I'm not around to play referee. So can you take my place until I'm finished here?"

At her proposal Cyrus's mind instantly went to the girl with the piercings and the bad attitude that he met only hours ago. It would possibly take Izar a little longer to complete Kisuke's training than he did. He took only two days, the prospect of being in the same house with his newest admirer wasn't very appealing. It's not that the idea of an admirer was unappealing to Cyrus it was his string of bad luck that always seemed to come with it. He seemed to be a magnet for the "Fatal Attraction" type girl, if you get what I'm saying. It seemed that the love for him brought out the absolute worst in girls. Then again, it must be an Angel thing because look what love for Izar made happen. Thoth done gave up his body to a chaos loving maniac cosmic spirit and here he was more than willing to drive a sword through his best friend if it meant that Izar would be safe.

"I'm not so sure…" Cyrus started to reject.

"Aw, this will be really important to me. I need you to watch over them. They're the closest thing to a family I ever had outside of you and Thoth, but only they're more…I don't know, more authentic feeling. Akiko's a great woman and an even greater mother figure, and Kenji is such a sweet kid. I need someone to make sure everything's alright while I'm not there. Please, Cyrus, please." She begged him.

"Alright, aright. I'll stay at the house with them until you're finished. Just don't beg, you're making me feel bad."

"Thanks Cy." She rested her head on his chest and squeezed her arms to hug him. Popping her head back she said, "Okay, now get out so I can change."

"I would but you're on top of me." He pointed out.

"Oh yeah, I am." Izar as if this was something she hadn't realized.

With a smile Cyrus playfully brushed her off onto the floor beside him. Getting to his feet he made his way towards the door to leave but before departing he cast one last glance at Izar over his shoulder to see she had started to absentmindedly finger the two hanging charms around her neck. Staring at her dark, thoughtful eyes he knew she was still processing everything that she was just told. Probably already blaming herself for everything with Thoth.

'Get stronger, Iz.' He thought her way.

By the time the though registered in her mind he was already down the hall.

********************************************************************************************************************

That's Chapter sixteen! Keep on reading because I'm posting this chapter with the next chap pinned right along. Also I noticed that earlier in the story I made it so Cyrus had telepathy that came along with his imprint. So I decided to write about that ability some more and perhaps Iz can get it too, but only if she trains hard. Good Luck Iz, her whole training session's in the next chapter.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter seventeen, really friggin' long! So be warned. Come and Read it!

**Disclaimer:** You know those fanfic chapters that say they don't own the original material which it was inspired by? Well, this is one of those.

**********************************************************************************************************************

Chapter Seventeen: Birth of Chaotic Starlight

Izar's POV

Izar had gotten dressed in the clothes Kisuke gave her which consisted of wide legged, flowing black samurai pants and a simply white T-shirt, and then made her way towards where the little tape arrows on the walls indicated her to go.

"Cute, otherwise I'd have no idea where to go." She walked down the hall until she came to a section that had an opened trap door in the floor.

"Wow, that's something different." She thought out loud kneeling down and poking her head in.

What she saw was amazing. Pass the set of stairs the led down into it, though it was nearing night time outside the training ground was basking in bright sunlight with a crystal clear blue sky. Underneath that sky was cliffs and flat plans of clay brown everywhere speckled here and there with a few scrawny and naked trees.

"How did he get that down here?"

"The question really is when are you going to get down here?" she heard an unpleasant voice say to her.

"Excuse me?" she asked indignantly looking off to find the source of the rudeness.

A little off in the distance was Kisuke with his shop employees standing in a horizontal line waiting for her. She quickly descended the stairs and came to stand in front of Kisuke.

"Well, well." Kisuke started off with a grin, "So Izar is here to get her mark colored like big Cy, hmm. He was able to complete his training in two days flat. Think you can beat that?"

"I know I can beat that." Izar said confidently, putting her hands on her hips.

"Confidence, that's always essential when training. Not to mention it's a trait I respect." He praised, "Now considering that both you and Cyrus are very different from the standard spiritual beings that I, as a former soul society operative, know about I have to do a little fudging here to make it so the training can apply to you without it being useless."

"I don't get it." Izar shook her head.

"He's saying idiot that since you aren't a soul reaper, it would be pointless to train you as one." Snapped the red headed little boy standing beside him.

Izar shot an acidy stare, ready to strike him before Kisuke went on, "So in other words, I gotta give you some soul reaper energy in order to make the training applicable to you. Now, stay still." He instructed holding out his cane at his side.

Izar eyed the cane suspiciously as she noticed Kisuke starting to remove the top half of it. Then slowly he started to pull the top away and connected to the top she noticed a blade was being extracted from his cane.

"Awaken, Benihime." He commanded evenly whipping his sword the rest of the way out.

What he was now holding was black and silver bladed sword with a long hilt with a crimson tassel at the end and a crimson thrice wrapped ribbon where the cross guard should have been.

"Cool sw…" was all Izar got to say before the Kisuke sent the tip of the blade right at her chest.

Next everything around her disappeared in the haze of blinding white light. The light filled her eyesight to the brim, casting her in a white blindness until finally it faded away slowly. By then Izar had realized that she was on her back, staring up the blue sky overhead wondering what the hell just happened to her. Finally a figure came to stand over her, the outline of a familiar bucket hat prominent on its head.

"How are you feeling?" Kisuke asked jovially, crouching down so that his goofy grinning face was only inches from hers.

"Wondering why you just stabbed me." Izar cried sitting up hard, trying to clunk her head against his, but he must have already sensed it because he quickly stood straight up out of the line of fire.

"That's how I got to transfer some of my soul reaper powers to you. Getting pierced by a zanpakuto can have varying effects depending on which species of being you are. I realized while doing the same with Cyrus that by sharing some of my powers with you, you guys interlace them with your own natural abilities and become something I've never seen before. Not saying that you guys species and type isn't unheard of already."

Izar sat up, then got to her feet, brushing herself off. Doing this she realized that getting stabbed with Kisuke's blade really didn't do anything to her. At least she wasn't bleeding from where she was cut, "So what do we do now?"

"It's not 'we' per se, it's what you're going do next. And the answer to that my dear is that now you have to burn out your original powers so we can start fresh." He explained brightly.

"Burn out my powers?!" Izar cried out shocked, "What's the point of that?"

"In order for the syncing up between your natural abilities and the newly equipped soul reaper powers to work properly you have to burn out the powers you already have. Once their all gone, we train you to strengthen new mix of powers just recently bestowed upon you." He explained.

"And if I don't burn out my 'old' powers," Izar said putting up finger quotations on the word "old", "then what happens?"

"Your already established powers will instead combat the soul reaper ones therefore your body is rejecting the drastic change and sudden spurt in everything. As a result you'll end up dying."

Izar felt here eyes go extremely wide at the proclamation that Kisuke had just sprung from his mouth.

"How do you know all this if you claimed you've never seen anything like Cyrus and me before?" Izar questioned.

"Easy, I watched and studied Cyrus closely while he was here. Not to mention that while cosmically powered beings is relatively unheard of, the concept of syncing spiritual powers with cosmic one isn't. Now all this time you're wasting questioning me, you could be burning out those powers of yours."

"Oh yeah, right." Izar said scratching the back of her head.

Suddenly her entire body erupted into a flash of her token fiery starlight aura outlining her frame at the same time her four star speckled, purple streaked, black wings unfurled with a snap from her back. She felt her mark tingling wildly, telling her that it was glowing brightly.

"By the way, if you want anything like motivation to keep you going or whatever. There is a time limit on burning out your powers." Kisuke smiled innocently.

"Time limit?"

"This I only know because Cyrus's body almost rejected the change, but as you can see luckily he pulled through."

"When's the time limit?" she asked anxiously, getting slightly annoyed at how cheerful Kisuke was being despite the fact of telling her that if she didn't do things right she would end up dead.

"About…" he said looking upwards thoughtfully before making eye contact again, "Five hours."

"Five hours? I think I can do that. Alright, here I go." She said blasting off into the sky like a rocket.

"So it begins." Kisuke thought aloud watching Izar blast off like a shooting star.

Cyrus's POV

"So you're staying here in Izar's place until she's finished whatever she's doing?" Akiko asked Cyrus who was sitting in the arm chair that he actually remembered being quite comfortable in the last time he was here.

Everyone seemed to be in the living room at that moment. Kenji was playing a videogame as usual, Kyoko was lounging on the couch listening to her iPod and flipping through some generation-X type magazine, while Akiko was standing over the chair Cyrus currently had one leg slung over one arm while resting his head on the other.

"Yep, she asked me to." He answered simply.

"Okay," Akiko said staring at him quizzically, "Do you want to stay in her room while she's gone?"

"Don't you mean my room?" Kyoko said snidely from her spot on the couch.

"You gave up the rights to your room when you ran off, you hussy." Akiko snapped viciously.

It was an outburst that sort of caught Cyrus off guard and made him stare at Akiko wide eyed. When she returned his gaze she seemed a tad flustered that he saw that side of her, especially towards her daughter.

"Actually," Cyrus started off slowly, "I can sleep on the couch. It's fine, really." He insisted when he saw her open her mouth to protest.

Akiko just gave him a crisp nod before going to leave the room. However she stopped at the entryway to say to Kyoko, "I guess you can sleep upstairs tonight."

"Thanks warden." Kyoko replied smartly.

"Kenji, go get ready for bed." Akiko ordered her son.

The boy obeyed without a word, cutting off his game system and going to do as his mother told him. Cyrus watched him as he left. Once the boy was gone from his eyesight Cyrus went to grab the remote to turn the television but was caught off guard by finding Kyoko sitting up on the couch, staring at him smolderingly. Her iPod and magazine were discarded on the table, signaling that he should be very worried right then.

"Um, hey?" he said uneasily to her.

"You know I really wouldn't have minded if you slept upstairs. I just felt like saying something to further piss her off. Hell, she's been doing it to me since I gotten back." Kyoko told him nonchalantly, blowing at her long bangs.

"Ah," Cyrus replied grabbing the remote and nestling back into his comfy position in the armchair.

"I mean can you believe her?" Kyoko continued on without provocation. "Sure I ran off without telling anybody, but did you really have to go out and find a fucking replacement? Give her my room, let her trash my things and put her gender confusing stuff up in there? I'm sorry but there should be a line and age limit on tomboyish behavior in a girl before you can consider her gay."

Cyrus cast a fiery stare at Kyoko that made her stop in her tirade instantly. She even put a hand over her mouth, apparently realizing that she was talking trash about his friend like he wouldn't have cared. Yet he did care very much in fact.

"Mind running that by me one more time?" Cyrus asked her calmly enough with a furrow browed expression.

"I'm sorry. I forgot that was your friend for a second." Kyoko said apologetically with a smile.

"Best friend." Cyrus corrected her tersely. "I've known before she could even walk and before I could talk a proper sentence."

"Wow, that long and you aren't tired of her yet?" Kyoko snorted as if being around somebody that long was unheard of, "I usually get tired of people. That's why I left here, even family starts bugging me after awhile."

"Well and good for you, but not everybody has a problem with other people. Up until recently Iz and I were inseparable. We were together almost every waking moment." He told her flipping through the channels.

"Every moment?" Kyoko asked sounding sort of disappointed, "What did you guys live with each other?"

"Yep." He replied matter of fact like.

"For how long?" Kyoko gasped in awe, slightly upset that her new love interest had previously bunked with the girl who she felt stole her home, family, and room from her. She was also shocked that he could just be so blatant about his personal life.

"I can't really say…"Cyrus said thoughtfully, actually trying to count the time he had spent sharing a home with Thoth and Izar. "I know it was a couple of years though."

"Why did you live with her? You guys aren't related or anything? Clearly not, she's black or Mexican looking and you're white."

"Let's just say that we didn't really have families or anything like you do. It was her, me, and another friend of ours. Guess you could say we're orphans. We didn't have any family so we decided to be each other's." as he said this memories of the days he had spent with Thoth and Izar during then started flashing through his head, bringing a tight feeling to his chest.

"Where's this guy at?"

"Who?" Cyrus asked, his mind slightly preoccupied by his nostalgic reverie.

"Your other friend you just mentioned, where's he?"

Her question finally registered, therefore triggering another set of memories in Cyrus's mind. Some not so pleasant ones, these were filled with images of when Thoth first returned with Tzyr inside of him, but at the time him and Izar didn't know. Images of his fight with Thoth's forces in his created reality, his most recent run in with Thoth again.

"Let's say we lost him." He answered after a brief silence, but not feeling satisfied with the answer he thought about it again, "Or more like he left us and right we're just trying to get him back."

"Why? When people leave they obviously don't want to be bothered with you. Hello, look at me." Kyoko said raising her hand.

"We're doing this because he's our friend." Cyrus said, "Helping somebody doesn't necessarily mean you have to do it. You can do it because you want to."

Kyoko simply snorted in her disbelieving way, "Hell, you're better than me. I have plenty of friends, supposedly." She said with a casual shrug.

"I only have two." Cyrus answered softly.

Izar's POV

Izar leapt from cliff to cliff, like a little girl playing hopscotch, trying to tire herself out the quickest and best way possible. She had done a multiple laps of flying the airspace around the camp, blasting away at the ground like target practice, and making her energy field glow as brightly as it would go. While she was hard at work trying to completely obliterate her powers she cast a glance down at the ground a few times to see Kisuke and his crew watching her intently. She jumped a few more cliffs before skidding to a halt atop one.

"How long have I been at it?" she called down to them.

"Two and a half hours now. How are you feeling?" he called back.

"Really friggin' tired but I don't think my powers are diminishing that much. I'm burning something out but it's definitely not my powers." She admittedly tiredly, taking large breaths in between her words.

Kisuke was quiet before he answered her, "Do you have any ideas as to how speed up the process?"

Izar stood up from her slight double over position, putting her hands on her hips she started thinking. In seconds an idea flashed through her brain.

"Ah ha!" she cried out triumphantly, "I do have an idea! Guys, get your sunglasses ready, this is going to be a bright one."

"Oh really?" Kisuke called back amused.

Izar smiled but it quickly disappeared when she realized she was on a time limit here and needed to get this over with. She crouched down on the ground, closed her eyes and concentrated hard.

"Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate." She repeated in a mantra fashion.

As she squeezed her eyes shut, mumbling her mantra, the area around her began to take on a dramatic transformation. The sky over the cliff she was crouching on started to darken to a stormy shade of gray-black, a spiral of wind started to circle from the dry ground up towards where Izar was. During this Izar's hair started to whip and whirl about her head and her starlight aura started pulsating off of her even more brilliantly and strongly than before. It actually started to reach up towards the gray-black patch of sky hovering over her.

The whole time she was repeating her encouraging mantra to keep her focused. Her heartbeat started to pound away at her chest, her blood started pumping into her ears. Her mantra changed to "I need to get stronger, I need to get stronger."

Chanting this made her think of the reasons why she needed to get stronger. An image of Akiko and Kenji flashed through her head, then pictures of Cyrus over the years that they had been together, always a protective, friendly halo that always was over her. Then she thought of Thoth and the quiet, shy, stoic, yet polite and charming young man he once was and how he had changed into the horrible monster that Tzyr was forcing him to become. Then finally an image of Chad flashed through her head.

"I need to get stronger for you, for all of them." she whispered to herself, feeling the energy inside her own body build up until there was a powerful crushing sensation sweeping throughout her.

Finally she stood to her full height, arms stretched out at her sides, head reared back, wings unfurled to their full length, and hollered the most thunderous and heart felt, glass shattering war cry she could muster. Simultaneously expelling all of the energy and power out of her body in a cataclysmic display.

Kisuke's POV

From the ground, off into the distance Kisuke, Tessai, and the children watched the spectacle in a mixture of awe and slight fear.

"What's going on?" Ururu asked nervously.

"If I could have a guess, since she's like a star when one burns out it goes through a process known as supernova, or a stellar explosion." Kisuke said tipping the brim of his hat upwards so he could have a better view of the swirling funnel of wind, pulsating white light, and dark sky off in the distance.

"I get it, so she's going to burn out her powers the same way a star burns out its energy. Won't that be sort of dangerous though?" Tessai comprehended, nodding.

"We'll have to wait and see."

Just as he said that Izar's cry could be heard from where they were standing at and a large flash of blinding white exploded from the cliff where she was. The explosion caused a shockwave of white to come barreling at them, uprooting dust and the small trees scattered across the plain.

"Oh boy," Kisuke muttered, turning around to face Tessai.

"Tessai, make a barrier!" he ordered.

"Yes." Tessai said briskly, holding out his hands, "Ginta and Ururu, stand closer to Kisuke."

The two children stood behind Kisuke as a golden barrier was cast around them just in time to shield them from the encroaching shockwave. As it swept over them the sheer force and power behind it was able to at least rattle Tessai and his barrier a little bit, which was already a feat and a half considering the giftedly skilled kido user that he was.

"You okay, Tessai?" Kisuke asked, seeing his comrade struggling some in maintaining the barrier.

"I'm fine." Tessai replied.

A few minutes went by before the shockwave finally died down and all that was left in its wake was mist of dust and a extremely heavy feeling all around. Tessai dropped the barrier and Kisuke stepped forward, glaring at the cliff where Izar was. Without another word he flash stepped all the way to where Izar's now unconscious body was lying on the ground. Her wings were gone, as were her aura, but there was something else that had disappeared too. Something that signified to him that she had accomplished in completely getting rid of her old powers. Kneeling down next to her body, Kisuke felt a small smile tug at his lips, brushing back her long bangs he saw for himself that her ten pointed star mark was no longer there on its face.

"Now you're just a regular foreigner with some strange powers that need nurturing." He commented to himself, scooping her up into his arms, "Now that' you've torn yourself down, time for me to build you back up."

Izar's POV

Izar didn't know what happened, one moment she was on top of a cliff, expelling her powers away from her, now she was stirring awoke feeling completely beaten down. All she wanted more than anything was to find a nice, soft bed, curl up under some cushy blankets and go to sleep for five days. However the blurring slowly turning clear vision of a face hovering over hers told her that no such thing was going to happen.

"Wakey, wakey cutie." Kisuke beamed at her.

"What happened?" she asked groggily.

"You succeeded! And in half the time that Cy did it. Now comes the fun parts."

"Okay, give me a minute." Izar grunted as she sat up, "What's next?"

"Now that you're without powers we have to build them back up so they can intertwine with your newly acquired soul reaper ones. First we're going to build up your speed. I can tell from the way Cyrus moved that you guys' species is already fast. In actuality you might be faster than soul reapers, so with your already superior speed, combining with the flash step of the soul reaper just imagine how quick you'll be able to move during battle."

"Really? So how am I going to do that?" she asked now shakily getting to her feet.

"Oh you'll see." Kisuke said with a creepy smile that signaled to Izar that she should definitely be worried.

"Put these on," instructed Ginta coming up to Izar and tossing a pair of white fighter's gloves, and a white head band at her feet, "You'll need them."

"Whatever," Izar replied stiffly still pissed at the boy for his earlier rudeness towards her, "So who am I fighting if I need these? You Kisuke?" she said strapping on the gloves.

"Oh no, in your current state as a simple normal person you could surely not hope to even match me in battle. Instead we're giving you an easier opponent. Come on out Ururu."

"Ururu? The little girl? Get outta here. There's no way I'm fighting a little girl." Izar said smugly, oblivious to the fact of just how far back she has fallen since she no longer has any powers. She hadn't even realized that her mark was gone yet.

Ururu emerged from the group wearing her own fighter gloves and a head gear that resembled a mushroom. Seeing the rosy cheeked girl in her cute little get up Izar shot Kisuke a disbelieving glare, "I can't do this. Even without powers I would so not beat up on a child."

"Oh but she's not your regular little child. Show her Ururu." He instructed.

"I'm really looking forward to fighting you, so I won't hold anything back." The girl said meekly.

Izar again looked at Kisuke with a 'What the hell?' look.

"Watch out." Kisuke warned simply.

Izar snorted smugly, but when she turned around all she remembered was something that felt like a boulder being shot out a canon hit her right in the face. She landed on her back hard, and slid across the ground for roughly about ten feet before coming to a stop. Cradling her face and cursing up a storm she sat up quickly, trying to recover from the initial shock of the situation.

"You might want to get moving." She heard Kisuke's voice say.

Quickly going on the alert Izar started darting her eyes darting to and fro searching for the little black haired girl. She saw her charging at her with a cloud of dust stirring up behind her.

"Crap!" Izar cried angrily. She gotten to her feet and started running but much to her annoyance she was nowhere as fast as she had once been.

She could actually feel her legs struggling to go a faster pace but her body just wasn't letting her do it.

"Damn, I've slowed down." She shouted at herself. Looking over her shoulder she Ururu was giving chase like a wolf.

The little girl sent a downward jab at Izar, one that she managed to maneuver out of the way in time. Just when she was recovering from out doing that jab Ururu sent another one at her from behind.

"How…" Izar mustered before Ururu sent her fist flying past her face.

She only managed to block that blow from sheer instinct of not wanting to get hit. Yet following that instinct allowed another one to kick right in. Not wanting to the girl to be able to hit her again As Izar ducked her blow she grabbed the girl around her waste and tossed the little thing off into the distance like a Frisbee.

"Nice toss there," Kisuke praised her.

"She still has a long way to go if she keeps this up." Tessai said.

"Keep what up?" she asked only to be blindsided by another one of Ururu's surprisingly powerful blows.

"This is bull!" she screamed frustrated driving her fist into the ground.

She glanced up seeing that Ururu was charging at her again. This time Izar stood firmly to her feet and struck a fighting stance

'He said this was a speed exercise, right?' she thought. 'I just got to get past her and her attacks by matching her speed, or at least trying to work around it until I regain my own.' When Ururu was within reach she shot out her fist to hit Izar. Sensing what the girl was going to do Izar dodged the punch then struck back with one of her own. However Ururu also dodged her hit as if it was nothing. That's when it happened.

Ururu came at Izar with another punch again but this time Izar watched from her eyes as everything just then started to go in slow motion. At first, she was perplexed as to what was happening. One minute this little girl was speeding all over the place knocking her on her ass. Now it's like somebody had the hands of time and was moving them slowly forward. So caught up in the new way she was seeing things Izar let Ururu's hit connect despite the fact that she could have blocked it. Again she went flying back onto the ground but determined this time she recovered quickly. This time she felt ready for Ururu anything else that was going to be thrown at her. The same as before Ururu charged at her and threw a punch that was nothing but a blur before but now the instant she sent it flying towards Izar's face everything slowed down in motion. Deciding not to let her moment slip again Izar dipped around the blow and countered with a shot of her own. The second her hit connected everything started going in real time again as she watched the girl fall back onto back.

She heard someone standing over where Kisuke and others were make a noise of amusement.

"Oh ho ho, good shot there!" Kisuke laughed, "How'd you manage that?"

"Up yours, I'm gonna get you for making me fight a little girl." Izar snapped at him.

"Before you do that, you might want to pull off that trick one more time." He said.

Izar turned around to see Ururu back on her feet and ready to come at her again. This time the girl came at her with a kick but Izar's new slow mo vision instantly kicked on, making it possible for her to dodge the blow and come back with a strong knee to the girl's stomach. Ururu was sent flying much like the way she had done Izar earlier.

"Good job, Izar." Kisuke said giving a small round of applause, "That was fast. I don't know how you two do it but you both managed to match my Ururu's speed in no time flat."

"Whatever," Izar growled at him, curling up her lip, "You made me beat up a little girl. How do you sleep with yourself at night?"

"Like a baby, but now we go on to your second stage of training."

"Which is what? I gotta beat up an old lady to get my powers working again?" Izar jeered at him.

"Uh no," Kisuke replied with a taken aback expression, "What we're going to do now is provoke your powers back out of you. In case you haven't noticed your powers are completely gone. You don't even have your mark anymore. Besides that extraordinary display of agility you just shown you still have a long way to go to get back to where you were and then some. So follow me shall we."

Kisuke spun around and started walking off into the sun baked horizon with his employees following hm. Izar followed while at the same time touching the area around her left eye where her mark used to be. It didn't feel any different from when she did have her mark, yet somehow being informed that it wasn't there anymore made her feel a small emptiness. After all it had become a big part of who she was at this point in her life. It felt strange knowing it wasn't there now.

The group kept going until they came to a gigantic and very deep hole that was dug in the ground. Izar was the last one to show up at the spot.

"Wow," she thought aloud, "That's a…(_cough_) big…(_cough, cough_) hole."

"Yes, it is." Kisuke replied, then turned his jovial stare onto Izar standing at his side, "My, that's a nasty cough that you've developed al of a sudden."

"(_Cough_) You're…(**_cough, cough_**) right." Izar answered confusedly as she started hacking her lungs out. "What's…(cough,) happening (**_cough, cough, cough_**)? Crap."

"Gee, I wonder if I can explain that." Kisuke said just a little too innocently that told Izar right away that this had something to do with him, "Oh wait, I can. That outfit that I gave you to train in, it really wasn't necessary. I gave it to you because on the fabric is what I need for the next step in your training."

"What's that?" Izar managed to squeeze out between the coughing sandwiches that were plaguing her speech.

"It's an illegal substance that was used a long time ago to turn soul reapers into hollows. The process is called hollowfication." He explained, his happy tone taking on a darker one as he began to continue, "If you don't know what a hollow is, it's what happens when a soul's spirit chain has been severed and the soul doesn't move on but instead decides to stick around. The severed soul chain then dissipates over time and once a soul chain disappears the soul becomes a hollow. If you have ever seen a hollow you would notice that somewhere on their body there is a hole, that's where they chain used to be."

As Kisuke explained this Izar thought back to the monster that she had fought alongside Chad and Rukia. Everything that Kisuke was describing was exactly what she saw in encountering that horrible thing. Remembering that beast made her heart jump as she slowly started to get a picture of what her next lesson might be.

"So in short, the fabric of the clothing you're wearing has the components that can transform you into a hollow without you being in soul form but since I've bestowed soul reaper qualities in you the process will be as if you were. You working up a sweat fighting with Ururu triggered it. The next stage of your training will be simple, you're going to get thrown down into the hole with Tessai. Your objective is to get out of it, and we're going to make it so the only way you can do that is to use your powers and abilities you had before. You don't use your powers, you turn into a hollow. When that happens, we'll have to kill you." He said gravely in a way that sent a nervous chill down Izar's spine.

''I'm going to turn into ones of those things if I don't pass this. Then they'll kill me.' She thought anxiously, 'I got to pass this.'

"Tessai, get her." Kisuke ordered.

From nowhere the mountain of a man that was Tessai tackled Izar from the side, got a death grip hold on her entire body, knocking both her and himself into the deep darkness of the hole.

Once they had hit the floor Izar felt herself pass out for what felt like merely a minute. When she awoke she was lying on her back looking up at the bright white circle overhead that was obviously the opening of the circle. However, something struck her as odd pertaining to the way her body was lying down there was a strong tightness in her shoulders. Trying to move so she could get off of the ground she found out that her arms were bounded tightly behind her back. She rolled onto her side to see Tessai was huddled in some sort of meditative sitting style not too far away from her.

"Tessai…" she croaked out before her fits of coughing returned.

"Focus on your training, Izar." Tessai said softly but sternly, not breaking his focus at all "I would hate to have Kisuke tell Cyrus that he had to kill his best friend because she turned into a hollow."

'He's right.' She thought, 'I gotta get out of here.'

She rolled back onto her arms, which were slightly being crushed under her weight, to stare back up at the opening. How would she get out? With her arms tied behind her back climbing was just a retarded suggestion. Usually she would have just flown out but her wings were gone. The point of this was to try to get them back, but how? As if to put emphasis on the importance of time here she went into a coughing and wheezing fit that she was sure would have ripped her chest open had it kept going. Finally as suddenly as it happened it ceased, leaving her chest on fire.

"I don't know what to do." She admitted, muttering under her breath.

"_Well, you should_._ They are your powers after all. I'm just along for the ride._" A voice rang out in her head.

Being absolutely caught off by the voice Izar bolted upright, turning her head to and fro. Searching to see if it was possible for anyone else to be down here besides her and Tessai.

"_Hey cutie, you must be all looks because brains must not be your strong suit._"

"Blow me, who are you?" Izar said snappishly, coughing horribly afterwards.

This caused Tessai to give her look but he quickly brushed it off and went back to whatever it was he was doing.

"_Evidently the one who's gonna have to show you how to get your powers back. Come along with me._"

All Izar remembered was her peripheral vision shutting down on her. Yet instead of it being black, it was white. Fiery white like her aura was. It closed off her peripheral before just full on blocking out her vision in nothing but fiery white.

"_Izar, welcome._" Said the voice.

Izar's eyesight cleared up from the white blindness that had struck her. Now instead lying on the floor of a dark hole with her arms bound she was sitting down on the floor of what appeared to be a room that was decorated to look like the night sky. The room was completely black down to the floor she was sitting on. Though thanks to the color scheme it slightly appeared like she was floating there. Besides the black of the room Izar noticed that there were dozens upon dozens of floating diamonds that hung in the space all around her by themselves like stars dotted across the night sky. Whipping in a phantom breeze, in flowing in between the diamonds were ribbons of dark purple.

"This room is like my wings were. Like my chain." She said her hand instantly going to touch where it hung on her neck, "Black with white star spackles and strips of dark purple."

"I knew you would identify with the scheme of this place. That's why I chose it." Said the same voice echoing throughout the room.

Izar quickly got to her feet and started searching the area for the person, "Come on out. It's rude to invite somebody and then not show your face." She said in an antagonizing tone.

"What are you talking about, I'm right here." He responded mischievously.

Izar let out a squeal of surprise as 'here' was right behind her and the person ran a finger down the lower length of her spine. She jumped in her skin and scrambled away before she turned around. Standing there with a smug, yet beautiful smile was a tall, thin young man with curly black hair that was impossibly long for a male, hanging to his lower back. His curly bangs hung all over his face but did nothing to obscure his good look. His skin was the color of creamy gold, his face was thin and elegant, matching his build, with thin black eyebrows, a thin nose, and slanted eyes that looked like, from Izar was standing, were black with strips of silvery going around his iris and pupil.

One thing that stood out about the young man's appearance was the two big ram horns that were protruding from the sides of his head. His horns were surprisingly made of glistening, cut diamond. Sparkling and twinkling every time he turned his head, casting little rainbow spots throughout the black room. Izar also noticed that the man's hands and feet were sparkling in the same way as his horns. Staring at them she saw that encasing his hands were armored gloves and armored combat boots of sorts. Yet instead of them being made of mere metal, these two were made of diamond as well. All of his diamond features sparkled more against his black clothing that consisted of a simply black long sleeve shirt and baggy black pants that were tucked into his diamond armored boots.

"You really pull off diamonds well." Izar complimented with a quirked eyebrow.

"Why thank you," he said smiling brightly. Izar noticed that he had a full upper lip, "But shall we get down to what you're here for."

"Yeah, what is that exactly?" Izar asked smartly.

"That," the ram horned young man answered simply, pointing a diamond armored finger towards the ceiling.

Izar's gaze followed his finger, seeing that overhead the black room was disintegrating into the white that she had been blinded with before.

"What's happening?" she asked, her heart beating fast.

"While we're here, inside your soul, you're body is undergoing the hollowfication process. The more time more time you waste here, the more you become a hollow out there." He explained with a stoic expression.

"Can I stop that from happening?" Izar asked panicky.

"Of course, you just have got to get your powers back."

"How?!"

"You see the diamonds and ribbons all around you?" he said sweeping his arms to indicate what he spoke of, "One of the diamonds is your Angel powers, same as the ribbons with your newly acquired soul reaper powers. It's up to you to find out which one of each your powers is before this room completely disintegrates and you become a hollow. Clock's ticking." In a flash of fiery white light he disappeared.

Not wasting anytime Izar got to work, running through the room, searching for any indication of the one diamond and one ribbon that would give her, her powers back.

"Which ones? Which ones?" she panicked, looking around, "How am I going to know which ones they are?"

Just then a noticeable glint caught her attention. Turning towards it she saw that one of the diamonds floating at shoulder height of hers was shining brighter than the rest of them. quickly dashing for it she practically ripped it from it's spot amongst the others.

"Now to find that damn ribbon." She said, gripping her diamond triumphantly. "That one." She shouted locking right onto the only shining white ribbon amongst the other dark purple ones.

It was on the other side of the room and Izar saw that the room had disintegrated just enough that she could it without having to look up. Bolting like a bat out of hell Izar crossed the room as fast as she could, her shaking and eager hand already extended. Once she got a feel of the silky material between her fingers she ripped the ribbon right from where it swayed.

"Gotcha!"

Kisuke's POV

It was well over an hour before the change started to make itself known in Izar. After her just lying there as if she were sleep Izar's eyes burst open and from nowhere a gushing, white force started to pour from her eyes and mouth as she let out an earth shattering scream in comparison to the one she had let out earlier. Her body started to twitch and seizure heavily as this happened. Ginta and Ururu were at the edge of the hole, peering in on Izar's transformation taking hold.

"She's turning, Kisuke. Should we get her?" Ginta asked Kisuke eagerly.

"Not yet, remember how Cyrus was. He almost transformed too before he came around. I have faith in her like I had faith in him. Just give her awhile, I'm sure she's going to beat this." Kisuke said strongly, watching everything intently.

'C'mon girl, be the Cellie that Cy won't shut up about.' He urged mentally.

To answer his plea something strange happened. A long, jagged piece of, what appeared to be, diamond erupted from the ground near where Izar laid.

"Huh?" Ururu and Ginta said in unison.

Another shard of diamond erupted from the ground, then another, and another. Until they started to form a shelter around the body of the hollowfying girl and block her from view. Finally, all the diamond pieces formed a protective cocoon of sorts around where Izar was laying. Everything became deadly quiet inside the hole.

"Kisuke, what just happened?" Ururu asked, "That didn't happen with Cyrus."

'No, he burst into flames that nearly burned down my shop again.' Kisuke thought, 'I guess I was wrong to think everything with them would be exactly the same.'

"Um, Mr. Urahara," Ururu's voice broke through his thoughts.

Kisuke looked down just in time to catch the diamond cocoon shatter, releasing from it an explosion of fiery silver-white light that hurled out of the hole like a volcano, forcing him and the children to back away from it. They all watched the explosion of white fly up into the sky and then fade off until there was nothing.

"What the hall was all that?" Ginta said still staring into the sky.

"Hold on now, look." Kisuke said pointing his cane.

The light that had disappeared returned, this time it was charging at them like a missile, leaving in its wake a trail of white fire. Seeing that it would have surely crushed them Ginta and Ururu ran away but Kisuke stood his ground, a sense of knowing keeping him there. Just when it seemed that he was going to be flattened the light vanished and a cloud of dust was stirred up. Kisuke gripped his hat, making sure that it wouldn't fall off from the wind that followed. When the wind resided and the dust started to clear Kisuke felt a broad grin cross his face.

"Iz?" Kisuke asked.

The dust settled to reveal Izar with her black, purple streaked, white speckled wings unfurled standing there, but she had undergone a small but noticeable transformation. Her curvy body that had no muscle before was now more toned and athletic, her long, thick hair seemed shaggier and wilder than ever with a prominent silvery tinge to it. Yet what changed the most were the girl's eyes. Once innocently bright and wide, her eyes had grown more slanted and hard edged looking. Going from two round circles of shimmering darkness to cattish shaped and pure black with two strips of fiery silver around her irises and pupils. Not to mention that her ten point star mark was back, but it too had changed. The thick outline was now gray with the thinner, interlacing lines being silver, and the smaller ten point stars in the design were all fiery white. Accompanying her along with a change of appearance were two sheathed kitanas that she was holding in her left hand.

"Yo," she replied stoically.

"Looking good, kid." Kisuke said brightly, "Stage two, cleared."

Izar's POV

Nothing could possibly describe how great the feeling of being stronger was to Izar. Though she was playing it cool now Izar felt ready to take on anything that Kisuke was going to throw at her.

"So what do you got now?" she asked him with a mischievous smirk.

"Stage three is simple enough." Kisuke told her.

"You said the word simple the last two times and they were anything but. Stop yanking my chain." Izar gritted through her clenched teeth, curling up her lip.

"I see that you have gotten a zanpakuto, two of them actually. So you're all set. All you have to do is knock off my hat with your zanpakuto and our training session will have been compl…" he started but never got to finish as Izar swung one of the blades at his face hard and fast.

Despite catching him off guard Kisuke had managed to dodge the blow and his hat stayed still. Izar let Kisuke back away from her as she struck a fighting stance with her swords.

"So, you think you're pretty fast, huh? I will admit I didn't even see you unsheathe those things but little good speed and agility will do if you can't touch me with either sword." Kisuke said seriously.

"Oh, I'll get you." Izar assured him, "You almost turned me into a monster and made me beat up a little girl. You'll pay for that. Cyrus may like you but I can't stand you right about now!"

With that she charged at Kisuke like wildcat. Kisuke stood his ground and unsheathed his sword from his cane, "Awaken, Benihime."

Izar swung one of her swords making it clash with Kisuke as he brought his up to guard.

"That would have been a good shot. Too bad 'would have' doesn't cut it." Kisuke boasted.

With a flick of his wrist he sent the sword falling from Izar's grasp. He swung it at her but Izar was able to dance around his blade without it connecting. She went in for a back handed swing to hit his hat from behind. Just as she was doing that Kisuke also brought back his sword. There was a singing echo of metal against metal as the two swords collided. However, Izar felt a stinging pain on her right cheek.

"Huh?" she gasped touching her face and turning around. She had turned just in time to see half the blade of her sword fall to the ground behind her.

'Did he just slice through my sword?' she thought in awe.

"You should think next time you decide to attack without planning. You can get your feelings hurt like that." Kisuke jeered at her, "With one sword gone and the other in two, how you think you can complete this task now. Eh Izar?"

"_Yeah, Izar. How?_"

"You again? What's your deal?" Izar growled frustrated.

Turning on her heel she shot towards her sword that Kisuke knocked out of her hand earlier.

"_What do you think my deal is?_" countered the voice smartly. "_I'm the one who's going to be bailing you out of this jam. Just like I did before_."

Izar was still going for her sword when Kisuke cut her off, swinging his sword to slice her right in half. Izar's slow mo vision kicked in like before. Slowing down Kisuke's movements as he went in to strike her. She placed a hand on his shoulder and vaulted herself over him. With her feet hitting the ground everything went back into real time.

"Let me guess, you're behind that, too."

"_Nope, that's all you. But I am what's behind knocking off that guy's hat off. If only you'd stop back talking enough to listen_."

"Listen," Izar said as she picked up her other, still whole sword, "To what?"

Yet as she said that something rang out in her ears. Something that should have been heard a long time ago. Pushing hesitation aside Izar turned to face Kisuke, brandishing both swords like the warrior that she knew right then and there that she had become.

"_Go ahead and say it, Izar! Scream it!_" cried the young man excitedly, you could picture the delight on his face.

"**_Shine! Kaosu Suta-Raito!_**" she roared valiantly.

Both of her swords were engulfed in fiery light before it faded away to reveal the weapons' Shikai forms. They were now two Western styled broadswords designed in wave bladed style prominent to Europe. Yet instead of the usual black and silver blade of a soul reaper, her blades were forged from diamond, much like the horns, and armor of the young man she had seen. Sparkling and glinting brilliantly as only the hardest and one of the most beautiful substances on the planet could. Her hilts were both forged from radiant platinum with the cross guard in her signature shape of the ten pointed star.

"Pretty swords. Though I would say aren't those might heavy for such a delicate little thing like you?" Kisuke teased with a smirk.

She sliced both her shining and beautiful weapons through the air before charging at Kisuke again. Though he had gotten himself prepared he was no match for Izar's speed accompanied by the fact she had two blades. Knocking aside his Benihime with one sword and knocked his hat off with the other. Parrying around him Izar caught the hat on the tip of one of diamond wave blades before it hit the ground. When Kisuke turned around, just now recovering from what just happened, he almost bumped into her handing him his hat on her sword.

"I believe this is yours." She replied with a strong, confident smirk on her lips, her other diamond wave blade rested on her shoulder.

"Stage three, cleared. And you managed to do it without murdering my hat." Kisuke smiled, taking his hat off her blade and dusting it off.

*********************************************************************************************************************

That was chapter 17, hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. This is probably my favorite chapter yet. What do you guys think of Iz's new skills and her zanpakutos? Pretty cool, huh?

Fun Fact: Iz's zanpakutos' name "Kaosu Suta-Raito" is "Chaos Starlight" in English.

Also, my beautiful and dedicated readers, there's another Chad story out there by taokiomi93, in that format, I think you should check out. Now you didn't hear it from me but I think there's a lot of key elements that make's it pretty similar to mine's. Just check it out and tell me if you agree. Thanks guys, love ya. Chapters 18 & 19 will be up soon.


	18. Chapter 18

Sorry about the long ass wait everyone. It was just crap, crap, and more crap recently with me. I haven't been able to do much writing but I'm back on board now and ready to type away. Here's chapter 18, I was attempting to release chaps two at a time but I had to get this one out there to let my readers know that I haven't abandoned the story. Don't worry though, hopefully I can still do the whole two chaps at a time if the cards play in my favor.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's that simple. I do however own Izar, Cyrus, and Thoth. Those are mine. _(Growls and looks around the room menacingly.)_

* * *

Chapter Eighteen: Life Without Izar

Chad's POV

The first thing Chad recognized when he came to school the day after he'd spent the afternoon with Izar was that she wasn't there. Sure, the girl had a habit of showing up late but when she did finally get to school she always made sure to at least pass by his class to peek in and speak. Yet today her absence stuck out like a big cyst. The fact that Ichigo and Rukia were out too caught his attention, but Chad knew all about Ichigo's reasons.

"Morning Chad, what's up? How come I don't see your hot girlfriend anywhere around? She's usually at the door waiting to see you." Keigo greeted when Chad walked into the classroom and took his seat.

"I don't know. I figured she'd have been in school today but I guess there was something really important she had to do." He answered Keigo the best he could.

"Chad, you better not be holding out on the rest of the story like you always do." Keigo snapped, "You know you really annoy me when you do that."

Chad slowly let Keigo's spastic ranting fall away from his subconscious and instead put his attention on what could have happened yesterday that caused Izar to stay out of school. 'Something serious must have happened to Cyrus' he thought. If anything happened to him Chad knew how much of a wreck Izar would be over her best friend being hurt. She might need him to help comfort her. It was right then that he made the decision to go over to where Izar stayed at with Akiko and Kenji immediately after school.

Ichigo's POV

That morning Ichigo woke up with the first thought on his mind being that it was June 17, the anniversary of his mother's death.

'Today's the day Ichigo, might as well get up and face it.' He thought to himself.  
He had hardly slept a wink last night and he was definitely feeling the side effects of that. As he sat up in bed he noticed that the door to his closet was left open and Rukia wasn't in her usual spot.

"Must have left for school already." He said, after saying that he recalled the events that had elapsed the day before when he came home that day.

Flashback

When Ichigo walked in through the door he went straight for the kitchen to see if somebody in his family was residing in there. Just as he expected there was Karin sitting right there at the table. She was staring at a bouquet of lilies that she had placed in front of her in a glass filled with water. There was a big, black bow tied around the bouquet.

"Hey Karin, what are those?" he asked his sister.

"What do you think they are?" Karin answered smartly, "They're lilies."

Ichigo sighed deeply, "I know that Karin, what I meant was what are they for?"

"They're for mom. At least that's what they're meant to be for. Your giant friend's girlfriend was the one who brought them and gave them to us. She said she heard about our mother from some kids at your school, because apparently all you teenagers have to do with your lives is gossip and talk about other people's personal lives. So I guess out of sympathy and partially out of gratitude for helping her boyfriend when he was hurt she decided to get some flowers to give us."

Ichigo processed everything Karin had said. He knew there was only one person that she could be talking about and that was Izar. She actually went out of her way to do something like this for Ichigo's family and she didn't even consider him a friend of hers like that? Staring at the flowers as Karin was doing only seconds ago Ichigo noticed something else about the flowers.

"How'd she figure lilies were mom's favorites?" he asked Karin but was still staring at the flowers.

"She claims she didn't, said that the florist she went to picked them out. Kinda gotta believe her considering that by looking at her despite the long, pretty hair, and cute face something just tells you she's not the flower aficionado type."

Ichigo picked up on the way Karin had worded her sentence and asked, "When you say claims, you mean you're not really buying that she was completely clueless?"

"I'm saying that something isn't sitting well with me since I talked to her. I sensed something from her the last time she was here with her boyfriend but now without the soul of the little boy in that cockatiel distracting me I got a full feel of the girl and her presence. It's really eerie."

"Eerie how, Karin?" Ichigo asked her as he came to stand closer to the table, intrigued by Karin's sudden awareness of Izar and what she obviously wasn't, which was a regular school girl.

"All I can say is that there's definitely more to her than looks and personality. A lot more." Karin said.

Ichigo decided not to pursue the subject any further.

"Alright Karin," Ichigo said going towards the staircase and up to his room.

Sitting on his bed was of course Rukia. Seeing her sitting there with that serious look in her eyes Ichigo already knew what this conversation was going to be about. Rukia had a knack for listening in on Ichigo and his family's conversations. Even the smallest exchanging of words didn't go unnoticed by her. He knew that she heard his and Karin's conversation, if she hadn't already heard the interaction between Karin and Izar herself.

"She was here today and she came baring a gift, huh?" Rukia started off flatly.

"Rukia, maybe it's not what you think." Ichigo said closing the door behind him and jumping on his defensive mode, "Did you ever think that maybe she was just trying to be nice after she heard about my mom? There are some people out there who like doing nice things just because, you know."

"How many of those people just so happen to also be powerful beings of destruction who just might be buttering up the only person that can stand between them and absolute obliteration of an entire world?"

"You think Izar's only being nice now because she knows I'm a soul reaper?" Ichigo asked her.

"And therefore a threat to any future schemes she might be plotting? Yes Ichigo, that thought has crossed my mind on several occasions since the incident with the cockatiel."

"Why are you so stuck on Izar being evil?" Ichigo asked exasperatedly.

"Why won't you at least consider it a possibility that she is?" Rukia shot back.

Just then Kon emerged from wherever he was in Ichigo's room and shouted, "Hey, would two have your lovers spat somewhere else, I'm trying to…" he was cut off as Ichigo crossed the room, grabbed Kon, curled him up in a ball, and threw him under the bed.

"All I'm trying to say, Rukia, is that I just can't see the truth in what your saying about Izar." Ichigo went on as if they weren't interrupted.

"All I'm trying to say Ichigo, is that maybe you're going into this whole thing a little naively because, whether you want to admit it or not, you've already grown attached to Izar just like Chad, Orihime, Tatsuki, and all the others that she came in contact with."

"Rukia…" Ichigo started but was interrupted by his father's voice piercing through the walls.

"ICHIGO!! Family meeting, NOW!!!"

"We'll finish this later." Ichigo told Rukia as he left the room but they never did.

Present Day

When he had returned their conversation had steered away from Izar to talk of his mother's anniversary and how he wanted to take the day off from being a soul reaper in order to honor her memory. Now staring at Rukia's empty closet bed Ichigo figured she was allowing him some rest from his soul reaper worries for now.

"Thanks Rukia." He said softly before getting up to get himself ready.

Cyrus's POV

It was early in the morning when Cyrus woke up but not early enough to beat Akiko or Kenji who were gone by then. The only people in the house were him and Kyoko who he was sure was still asleep.

"Izar should be deep in training by now." He thought out loud as he turned on his back and stared up at the ceiling from his bed that was the living room sofa. "Perhaps it wouldn't kill me to work out a little, too. I haven't really done anything since I've gotten here."

Throwing back the covers and folding them Cyrus washed up, ate, and then went out into the backyard of the house. The morning sun was rising higher in the sky by the hour, the clouds were thin and sparse today, and from the beads of sweat that was already pouring off his skin before he even exerted himself Cyrus smiled as he realized it was the perfect summer day for him to train.

"I think I'll start with my sword fighting skills first." He muttered to himself.

Holding out his hand, in a flash of gold his zanpakuto materialized into his hand. Then unsheathing it slowly so that the ring of the escaping metal echoed in his ears Cyrus said lowly but fiercely, the command of, "Burn! Hizashi Doki!"

His sword transformed into his fiery Nodachi blade as he held it out to his side. He went quickly into his sword fighting training, swinging and swiping his sword. Executing evasive and defensive movements expertly, practicing offensive maneuvers as if he was fighting against an unseen enemy. He, next, started to focus on how well he was able to handle the blade he wielded. Twirling the sword in one hand, then casually tossing it into his other, and swinging it around him so as to learn how to avoid being cut by his own weapon. Close to almost an hour later Cyrus was soaked in his own perspiration. He stopped to give himself a break, placing his sword back into its sheath, then making it disappear. After that he sat on the ground to start his in between training stretches.

"How the hell did you do that?" he heard a voice gaped from the direction of the house.

Startled he quickly sprang to his feet and turned towards Kyoko standing there only a few feet away, staring at him wide eyed and awestruck.

"Do what?" Cyrus asked standing straight up, trying his best to pull off the acting dumb ploy.

"The sword thing," she said matter of fact like, obviously not buying the act, "First you made it appear from nowhere, did your samurai mumbo jumbo, then you made it disappear again. What are you like a warrior magician or something like those things from my dorky little brother's mangas?"

Cyrus breathed in deeply then exhaled softly, "You mean to tell me you were watching me that entire time?"

"Yeah, I saw you come out here when I was looking out the window and I…" she broke off but started up again, this time she looked directly into Cyrus's eyes and both her tone and eyes took on a different emotion. One that made Cyrus's stomach turn with nervousness.

'Oh crap,' he thought.

"I couldn't take my eyes off of you. I was stuck. I couldn't help but keep staring. You looked just so strong and valiant and beautiful." Kyoko turned her eyes away from him when she said beautiful.

Cyrus couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for Kyoko. After all he knew all too well her situation. Being hopelessly and deeply infatuated with someone who clearly didn't have those feelings back. He didn't want to lead her on, and her personality wasn't the most attractive, but the least he could do was befriend her. Yet not without establishing where he stood with her first.

"Kyoko," he started off softly, raising a hand but not really deciding if he should touch her or not, "I…"

"I already know what you're going to say." Kyoko cut him off before he could get started. She looked up to make eye contact with him, "You love that tomboy girl, don't you?"

Cyrus felt his temperature spike at her accusation. He knew he had to be blushing right then, something that he ever really did.

"Is it that obvious?" Cyrus said, being the one who looked away this time.

"Apparently obvious to everyone else except her. Otherwise I think you two would have been together if she did know."

"I'm flattered by your feelings but you already see that those feelings can't be returned. I'm sorry if I came off a little cold before but I…" Cyrus was saying locking eye with Kyoko again.

"You didn't want to get my hopes up just to have them dashed in the end. I know, believe it or not I've been here before." She said with a shrug and a sad smile. "You still didn't answer my question from earlier."

"What question?" Cyrus asked, seriously confused having forgotten about what had happened to lead to him and Kyoko having this present conversation.

"What are you?" Kyoko asked again.

"Oh, that question." Cyrus said, scratching his head he realized that there was a dilemma unfolding here.

He quietly evaluated the situation in his head. Akiko and Kenji were well aware of what he and Izar were. If they didn't know the whole story they at least knew a good portion to where they weren't completely ignorant. So it was hardly fair that Kyoko was absolutely oblivious to everything going on around her since she was just apart of it now as Akiko and Kenji were.

"Okay, I'll explain as much as I can to you. It may sound farfetched and a tad bit psychotic but you gotta trust me on this."

"You're going to tell me what you really are?"

"Yes, but first I need to at least shower." Cyrus said guiding Kyoko back towards the house.

Chad's POV

Chad waited patiently at the door that he had just knocked on, waiting for somebody to come and answer it. Just as he has promised himself Chad went straight to the place Izar was calling home as soon as school had let out. The whole day Chad couldn't help but feel deeply impacted by Izar's absence. He hadn't realized how much he would have missed her in just one day of not seeing her.

'I guess I had gotten so used to having her around all of a sudden the thought of not seeing her everyday didn't seem to cross my mind.' He though to himself while he was walking here.

Now here he stood, silently praying that it would be his love that would open the door for him and smile that beautiful smile that she always seemed to save just for him. Finally the door did open, but it wasn't Izar standing there. Instead, there stood Cyrus. The moment their eyes met Cyrus stood straight up, crossed his arms over his chest, and shot the most evil glare that he could at Chad standing on the porch. Chad recalled how uncomfortable his last one on one interaction with Cyrus went. He really hoped that this wouldn't be repeat and if was, he hoped Cyrus could at least control himself better than last time. He saw for himself how bad that temper of his was. The last thing he wanted was anything violent to erupt between them.

"Hi Cyrus," Chad greeted politely.

"Chad." Cyrus said evenly but his clearly told the story of the obvious disrespect he meant in it.

"I was wondering if Izar was here. Her and I were together yesterday and she went flying off after you summoned her. Then she wasn't in school today, I was wondering if something serious happened." Chad explained to him.

"Something did happen but I don't think that would concern you." Cyrus said stiffly.

Chad sighed deeply, trying his best to ignore Cyrus's rather rude attitude towards him, "I just want to make sure everything is alright with Izar. I was just a little worried when she ran off and didn't contact me to let me know what was going on."

"Of course Izar's alright, as long as I'm around she will be." Cyrus said quite snappishly.

"Can you at least tell me where she is or if she'll be back anytime soon?" Chad asked, his patience with Cyrus getting thinner and thinner by the minute.

"She's safe where she is and she'll be back before you know it. Like I said you should stop worrying yourself over such things." Cyrus answered with a curl in his lip that tugged at Chad's heart as he noticed that was something that Izar often did.

"Fine, Cyrus." Chad said giving up, "I guess I'll see Izar when she gets back. Sorry I bothered you at all." With that he turned his back on Cyrus and started down the walkway.

Before he stepped off the porch however he heard Cyrus reply viciously, "I'm sorry you did too." It was then followed by the slamming of the door.

Chad walked all the way back to his apartment in a fuming silence. Despite the obvious reasons Chad had never found any reason to dislike Cyrus or make the fact very blatant. He tried to understand and see things from Cyrus's point of view. Here it is, he's known this girl all her life. They grew up together, saw each other every minute, every second, of every day since she was a baby. Then suddenly he gets separated from her for a year and then when he comes back, ready to protect, care and love Izar like he always wanted to he finds that somebody is already doing that when he had been there all along. Chad totally understood how Cyrus was feeling, but that didn't erase the fact that he was still upset with how Cyrus had just treated him.

When he gotten home he casually dropped his belongings in the doorway and sat down on the couch. Looking at the clock on the wall he realized that his favorite TV show (one of only two programs that he actually finds interesting and permits himself to watch) Carnivore Kingdom was on but in his current state of longing for Izar he couldn't bring himself to watch it.

'All I want is her.' He thought to himself.

It was amazing how much he wanted her right now, almost as if realizing he couldn't have her made his desire for her even stronger.

Just then his house phone rang. He picked it up off the receiver on the table and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Chad, buddy." Exclaimed the young man on the other line, "It's Gitano, you're not busy right now are ya?"

"Why?"

"Because Harutoki and I are about to go get something to eat. You wanna hang out?"

"Not today, Gitano." Chad replied simply.

"What? Why not? Oh, I see. It's that we saw you running after awhile ago, huh? Okay, I totally understand. Catch ya later buddy." Gitano said hanging up before Chad could say anything else.

'I wish I was with her right now.' Chad thought to himself.

Slowly he hung up the phone but just as he was bout to pull his hand away from the receiver he noticed a significant tingling going on in the palm of his hand. Quickly he glanced at his palm and gasped in amazement at what he saw. On the palm of his hand was the ten pointed star mark that Izar had on her eye. It was glowing brightly against his russet hand and seeing it reminded Chad that he had totally forgotten about him asking Izar to imprint him and her actually doing it.

At seeing the glowing mark on his palm Chad also felt the same stream of emotions he had the night that Izar had left him but then later he had felt her presence. Instinctively he turned around to search for her. He caught his breath as he saw her. It was only a very blurry and vague silhouette of her body, but Chad knew. She seemed to be crouching down, her head bowed, and her hand cupped together as if in prayer.

"Izar…" Chad gasped going over to touch her but the minute he was within reach the ghostly image had evaporated into thin air.

Quickly his eyes turned back to his hand just in time to catch Izar's imprint stop glowing and slowly fade away until it too was gone.

"Wha…wait." He whispered shakily to the long gone mark.

Chad stood there for a moment processing everything that just elapsed in those few seconds.

"She was thinking about me." He stated with conviction.

She had to be, just like the last time he felt her. She had needed him then and he felt here. This time she thought about him and he saw her. IF only for a blink of the eye and it wasn't the best vision ever. Still it was Izar and Chad felt a smile come across his face as an amusing thought came to mind.

'I knew our bond was stronger than distance.' He though happily, 'Apparently stronger than a jealous, love-sick friend, too.'

* * *

That's chapter 18, I don't think it's my best but I did think that this chapter did have major plot points that had to be put in and character interaction between Kyoko and Cyrus, and Chad and Cyrus that will all play a major role in the ensuing drama up ahead. So keep an eye out for chap 19 and (hopefully) 20 tailing along with it.


	19. Letter to readers

To my faithful readers,

I regret to inform you that as of now I may have to put my fanfic "Celestial Wing: A Love Story" on a short lived hiatus. I know that alot of you are enjoying the story and I appreciate all the support and love that you guys have shown. However, recently a lot of factors have suddenly popped up thats making it harder for me to keep up with the fanfic. My computer access and time to just blow isn't as vast as it used to be, I have to get ready to start attending college in the fall. So finding a steady paying job and saving up for school supplies and tuition is my main goal right now. Not to mention that my mind and heart just aren't in the story like they once were. I'm not saying I'm losing interest in the story because I intend on continuing and finshing it out. It's just right now I really want to immerse my effort and time into my original work that I want published and in print by the end of this year, and with setting that deadline for myself I realized that every second counts. I can't give an exact date on when I'll pick up the fanfic again but I assure you it won't be any longer than possibly this month and maybe the next. I promise any time I can spare I'll try to get some new chapters out there but right now it's just seems impossible to continue the fanfic and keep track of original story as well. I'm already disappointed that I'm further in the fanfic than my own story. So please understand and just hang in there with me. Until next time my readers and fans.

Drayga Bas


End file.
